DR.  W.  J.  HALL 


MISSIONARY  TO  KOREA 


GIFT  OF  ...  . 

4 -v^vvA/v>crvv 

^>|LfcXij>l/vvA  \l Cr\j^AyvC^JULfL.  iSo.  W3(, 


1-1 , 


LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

JAN  2 3 2008 

THEQLOGtCAL  SE?;riNARY 


L 


I 


1 


\ 2.0  26  ^•Z.2.  Hms 

THE  LIFE  OF 


FIEV,  WILLIAM  JAMES  HALL,  M.D. 

Medical  Missionary  to  the  Slums  of  New  York 
Pioneer  Missionary  to  Pyong  Yang,  Korea 


EDITED  by  his  WIFE 

ROSETTA  SHERWOOD  HALL,  M.D. 


INTRODUCTION  BY 

WILLARD  F.  MALLALIEU,  D.D. 

Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

li^aryofprincetcm 

ILLUSTRATED  £ 3 2008 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINAR' 


NEW  YORK 

PRESS  OF  EATON  & MAINS 


AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 

TO  THE 

YOUNG  PEOPLE 

OF 

CANADA  AND  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

FOR  WHOSE  ENCOURAGEMENT  DR.  HALL  HAD  WISHED  THE  STORY  OF 
HIS  LIFE  MIGHT  BE  WRITTEN. 


THE  HIGHEST  LEGACY  A FRIEND  CAN  LEAVE  US  IS  HIS  UNFINISHED  WORK.' 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

Boyhood  Days.  By  Mrs.  Robert  Sturgeon,  Dr.  Hall’s  first 
School-teacher,  Glen  Buell,  Canada,  .... 

CHAPTER  II. 

Consecration  in  Early  Manhood.  By  Rev.  D.  Winter,  Pastor 
Methodist  Church,  Ottawa,  Canada,  . . . . 

CHAPTER  III. 

High  School  and  College  Days  in  Canada.  By  Dr.  Omar  L. 
Kilborn,  M.A.,  Canadian  Methodist  Mission,  Sz  Chuan, 

China.  .......... 


CHAPTER  IV. 

In  Training  for  Mission  Service.  By  George  D.  Dowkontt, 
M.D.,  Director  of  International  Medical  Missionary 
Society,  ......... 


CHAPTER  V. 

Medical  Mission  Work  in  New  York.  By  Rev.  J.  Sumner 
Stone,  M.D.,  Pastor  Mott  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church, 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Madison  Street  Mission.  By  Rev.  Roger  E.  Thompson  and 
members  of  the  Madison  Mission  Correspondi-ng  Circle  : 
Dr.  Henrietta  Donaldson  Grier,  Presbyterian  Mission, 
China;  D.  R.  Lewis,  M.D.  ; Dr.  Mary  Macallum  Scott, 


6 

PAGE 

American  Board  Mission,  Ceylon;  Dr.  Orissa  Gould, 

Baptist  Mission,  India;  Dr.  Walter  B.  Toy,  Presbyterian 
Mission,  Siam  ; Dr.  Ina  Ross  Anderson,  China  Inland 
Mission  ; Dr.  J.  B.  Busteed,  Methodist  Episcopal  Mis- 
sion, Korea  ; Dr.  A.  H.  Henderson,  Baptist  Mission, 
Burmah,  .........  78 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Introduction  to  the  Mission  Field  of  Korea.  By  Rev.  H.  G. 

Appenzeller,  Methodist  Episcopal  Mission,  Soul,  . 119 

The  First  Trip  into  the  Interior.  By  Rev.  Geo.  Heber  Jones, 

Methodist  Episcopal  Mission,  Chemulpo,  . . .124 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Various  Topics  of  Korean  Life  and  Customs.  By  Mrs. 

M.  B.  Jones,  Mrs.  R.  S.  Hall,  M.D.,  Rev.  James  S.  Gale, 

Rev.  G.  H.  Jones,  Mrs.  L.  H.  Underwood,  M.D.,  and 


Mrs.  M.  F.  Scranton,  . . . . > . . .132 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Dr.  Hall’s  Published  Letters,  ......  238 

At  the  Si  Pyeng  Won  Hospital  in  the  Summer  of  1894.  By 
Rev.  W.  B.  Scranton,  M.D.,  Superintendent  Methodist 

Episcopal  Mission,  Korea,  281 

Dr.  Hall’s  Pioneer  Work  Completed.  By  Rev.  Samuel  A. 

Moffett,  Presbyterian  Mission,  Pyong  Yang,  . . 304 


CHAPTER  X. 

Social  and  Home  Life.  By  Rev.  W.  A.  Noble,  Methodist 

Episcopal  Mission,  Korea,  3^9 

APPENDIX. 

The  Memorial  Service— A Wreath  of  Memorials— Address 
of  Welcome — The  Hall  Memorial  Hospital— Dr.  Hall’s 
Unpublished  Story  for  Children — “ Who  Will  Go  ? ” By 
Fanny  Crosby, 35^ 


I 


INTRODUCTION. 


Korea  is  one  of  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Until  very 
recently  it  has  been  unknown  to  the  Christian  world. 
It  has  been  overlooked,  neglected,  and  despised.  It 
was  a thoroughly  heathen  country.  Its  people  were  as 
blind  and  bigoted  in  their  idolatry  as  any  on  the  face 
of  the  earth.  The  laws  of  the  land  provided  death  as 
the  penalty  for  any  of  its  people  who  might  embrace 
Christianity.  Those  laws  are  not  yet  repealed,  though 
they  are  dead  for  all  the  future. 

With  other  Churches  our  own  has  within  the  last 
twenty  years  entered  this  forbidding  field.  The  com- 
mand of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  sent  us  to  Korea  as  it 
has  done  to  so  many  widely  scattered  fields.  ' The  re- 
sults already  prove  that  when  the  Master  says  “ Go  ” 
there  are  always  waiting  souls  ready  to  receive  the 
Gospel  message.  The  greatest  difficulties  have  been 
overcome,  the  most  obdurate  soil  is  being  cultivated, 
and  now  our  happy  converts  are  numbered  by  hun- 
dreds, and  soon  will  be  by  thousands.  Everywhere  the 
fields  gleam  with  ripe  harvests  waiting  for  the  reapers. 

William  James  Hall,  whose  lifework  this  volume 


8 


records,  not  only  prayed  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to 
send  forth  laborers,  but  volunteered  himself  to  go.  He 
gladly,  yes,  joyfully,  gave  himself  and  all  he  had  or 
hoped  for  to  the  service  of  the  blessed  Redeemer.  It 
was  my  privilege  to  meet  Dr.  Hall  in  Korea  in  the 
summer  of  1892.  He  was  a most  lovable  man,  and  no 
one  could  help  being  drawn  to  him.  He  had  a warm, 
hopeful,  fearless  heart ; he  had  a sort  of  quiet,  steadfast 
strength,  an  unwavering  faith,  a most  unselfish  nature, 
a purposeful,  determined  will,  and  a measure  of  patience 
and  endurance  that  made  him  a rare,  good  man,  one 
to  depend  upon,  one  that  would  bring  things  to  pass. 
His  faith  embraced  the  uttermost  bounds  and  the  last 
one  of  the  ten  or  fifteen  millions  of  Korea.  At  the 
memorable  Annual  Mission  Meeting  of  1892  the  soul 
of  Dr.  Hall  was  all  aflame  with  a restless  desire  to  leave 
the  comparatively  comfortable  surroundings  of  the 
Mission  Compound  at  Soul,  and  make  a way  into  the 
regions  beyond,  and  preach  the  Gospel  and  heal  the 
sick  where  these  blessed  ministries  had  not  been  known. 
In  accordance  with  his  earnest  desire  he  was  given  the 
Pyong  Yang  Circuit — a circuit  without  bounds,  stretch- 
ing away  to  the  north,  full  of  all  dangers  and  difficul- 
ties. But  with  joy  he  undertook  his  work  and,  con- 
sidering all  the  circumstances  from  first  to  last,  he 
achieved  a wonderful  measure  of  success.  The  Ko- 
reans believed  in  him.  They  found  he  was  thoroughly 
fearless,  honest,  truthful,  and  ready  for  any  sacrifice  if 
so  he  might  be  a blessing  to  them. 


9 


Dr.  Hall  was  a^  hero  and  a martyr — for  he  really 
gave  his  life,  lost  his  own  life  as  the  result  of  ministries 
to  the  sick  and  wounded  who  were  congregated  in  and 
about  Pyong  Yang  during  the  war  between  Japan  and 
China.  The  name  of  Dr.  Hall  will  never  die  in  the 
memory  of  the  people  of  Korea.  In  years  to  come, 
when  there  will  surely  be  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
Christians  in  Korea,  the  name  of  this  noble,  saintly, 
Christlike  soul  will  be  everywhere  cherished  and 
honored. 

W.  F.  Mallalieu. 

Auburndale,  Mass.,  August  i8,  1897, 

2 


MRS.  I>R.  ROSEI  TA  S.  HAT.l,  AM)  CHILDREN. 


WILLIAM  JAMES  HALL 


CHAPTER  I. 

Boyhood  Days,  1860-1878. 

“ The  childhood  shows  the  man  as  morning  shows  the  day.” 

Ancestry — Birth — Name — Baptism — Early  traits  of  character — Be- 
gins school — Diligence — Good  nature — A fight — Conversion  at 
the  age  of  fourteen — Joins  the  Methodists — In  the  school- 
room— Thinks  he  cannot  be  a farmer— Learning  a trade — 
Health  fails — Returns  home  to  die — “ Must  I go  and  empty- 
handed  ? ” 

William  James  Hall  was  of  Irish  descent.  His 
great-grandfather,  George  Hall,  lived  in  the  County  of 
Armagh,  Ireland.  He  married  Margaret  Boyd,  and 
they  had  a pleasant  home  on  a farm  near  Cady.  Bel- 
fast, twenty-three  miles  away,  was  their  nearest  seaport. 
The  farm,  according  to  the  custom  prevailing  there, 
was  leased  for  a period  of  ninety-nine  years.  George 
Hall  and  wife  were  Presbyterians,  and  no  doubt  were 
of  that  good  Scotch-Irish  lineage  from  whom  so  many 
of  our  best  men,  and  especially  missionaries,  trace  their 
ancestry.  To  them  were  born  three  children — James, 
Boyd,  and  Sarah.  George  Hall  died  early,  and  after 
his  death  the  farm  was  carried  on  by  the  eldest  son 
James.  He  married  Jane  Foster.  Sarah  married  Rob- 
•ert  Gray  and  emigrated  to  Canada.  Boyd  went  to  Bel- 
fast to  see  them  off,  and  he  was  sorry  he  had  not 
planned  to  sail  with  them — a little  later  he  did  go. 


12 


The  mother,  Margaret  Boyd  Hall,  married  John  Stur- 
geon, and  many  years  later  came  to  Canada  with  her 
Sturgeon  sons,  the  youngest  of  whom,  Robert  Sturgeon, 
aged  eighty-five,  still  lives  at  Glen  Buell,  Ont. 

On  the  old  homestead  in  Ireland,  to  James  Hall  and 
wife  were  born  George,  Sarah,  and  Boyd,  the  oldest 
three  of  their  twelve  children.  After  the  birth  of  his  third 
child,  James  wrote  to  his  brother  Boyd,  then  in  Canada, 
to  come  home,  and  they  would  sell  out  their  right  in  the 
homestead,  and  all  go  back  to  Canada  together,  where  there 
would  be  more  room  for  such  growing  families.  Boyd 
came,  and  the  property  was  disposed  of.  Boyd  married 
Elizabeth  Baird  (still  living  in  1896, aged  eighty-eight), 
and  the  two  brothers  with  their  families  removed  to 
Canada  in  1831,  and  were  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Glen  Buell.  James  Hall  was  a mason  by  trade,  and  in 
1842  he  built  of  stone  the  old  homestead,  which  is  yet 
in  good  repair.  His  eldest  son,  George,  remembers  of 
helping  to  carry  stone  to  build  the  house.  James  Hall 
lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-five  years;  he  was  a strict 
Presbyterian  all  his  life,  and  a great  lover  of  the  Orange- 
men. 

April  7,  1859,  George  Hall,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three, 
married  Margaret  Bolton,  aged  twenty-four,  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  Bolton,  of  New  Dublin.  She  is  also  of  Irish 
descent,  and  belongs  to  a family  of  great  longevity. 
Her  great-grandfather,  George  Bolton,  a United  Loyal- 
ist, was  born  in  Ireland,  and  there  married  Nancy  Bick- 
fort.  They  early  emigrated  to  Canada.  Upon  their 
way,  while  passing  through  the  United  States,  a boy 
baby  was  born  to  them  that  received  the  name  of  Wil- 
liam ; a daughter,  Alice,  and  six  sons  were  born  in  Can-, 
ada.  All  these  children  lived  to  a great  age  ; one  son, 
Abram  Bolton,  celebrated  his  one  hundredth  birthday 


13 


anniversary  by  chopping  down  a tree.  He  lived  to  be 
one  hundred  and  three  years  old.  The  Boltons  were 
strong  adherents  of  the  Church  of  England.  George 
Bolton  lies  buried  at  Lyn  ; a large  basswood  tree  has 
since  grown  over  his  grave. 

William,  the  eldest  son  of  George  Bolton,  perhaps 
due  to  the  fact  of  having  been  born  in  the  United 
States,  was  more  cosmopolitan  in  his  tastes,  and  stepping 
outside  of  the  Irish  race  for  his  wife,  married  Martha 
Elliott,  who  was  of  Dutch  descent  and  was  born  in 
Vermont,  July  3,  1777.  She  lived  to  be  one  hundred 
and  two  years  old.  To  William  Bolton  and  Martha  his 
wife  were  born  three  daughters  and  three  sons.  The 
stone  house  upon  their  homestead  in  New  Dublin,  Ont., 
was  built  in  1835,  and  here  their  eldest  son,  John  Bol- 
ton, yet  lives,  aged  ninety  years  (1896).  At  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  he  married  Alice  Colborne,  aged  twenty- 
three,  and  to  them  were  born  six  daughters  and  three 
sons. 

The  eldest  daughter,  Margaret,  as  already  stated, 
married  George  Hall,  of  Glen  Buell,  and  the  young 
couple  settled  upon  a small  farm  near  the  Hall  home- 
stead, and  began  housekeeping  in  a log  house.  Here, 
January  16,  i860,  William  James  Hall  was  born.  He 
was  named  “ William  ” after  his  mother’s  grandfather 
Bolton,  who  was  then  living,  and  “James”  after  his 
grandfather  Hall.  Before  baby  William  James  was  a 
year  old  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Kitley,  to  pay  a 
visit  to  his  aunt  Susan  Hall  Seymour,  and  while  there, 
together  with  his  cousin,  Mary  Seymour,  he  was  bap- 
tized by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Evans  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Toledo,  Ont. 

Little  William  James  walked  when  he  was  sixteen 
months  old,  but  talked  before.  He  was  not  a pre- 


14 


cocioLis  child,  but  he  possessed  a very  amiable  dis- 
position. His  mother  says,  “ Jimmie  was  always  a 
good-natured  child.”  He  was  a thoughtful  little  boy, 
of  rather  a serious  turn  of  mind.  His  aunt,  Jane  Bol- 
ton (now  Mrs.  Willoughby  Rowsom),  used  to  live  at 
her  eldest  sister’s  quite  a great  deal,  and  little  Jimmie 
often  slept  with  her.  When  they  had  prayed  and  got- 
ten into  bed,  he  would  always  say,  “ Now  Aunt  Jane 
tell  me  about  the  good  place  where  the  good  little 
boys  go  to,  and  the  bad  place  where  the  bad  little 
boys  go  to.”  When  about  four  years  old  he  paid  a 
visit  to  his  grandmother.  On  looking  out  of  the  win- 
dow, and  noticing  some  brush  that  had  been  set  on 
fire  in  several  places  in  an  adjoining  wood,  he  care- 
fully watched  it  for  some  time  when  he  exclaimed,  “O, 
grandma,  when  all  these  fires  get  together,  won’t  they 
make  an  awful  hell  ! ” It  evidently  made  a deep  im- 
pression upon  him,  for  in  after  years  he  said  this  event 
was  his  very  earliest  recollection.  The  first  year  after 
reaching  the  foreign  mission-  field  he  thus  wrote  to  his 
Aunt  Jane,  under  date  of  July  21,  1892  : “ I can’t  tell 
how  glad  I was  to  get  your  letter — it  was  so  full  of 
cheer.  You  were  always  such  a good  aunt  to  me — I 
shall  never  forget  your  kindness  and  love.  Your  talk 
to  me  on  religion,  and  your  influence  over  my  early 
training,  eternity  -alone  will  reveal  how  far  they  have 
gone  to  make  my  life  what  it  is  to-day,  by  early 
giving  my  mind  a turn  in  that  direction  so  that  as  I 
grew  older  I readily  yielded  to  the  influences  of  grace. 
It  is  becoming  more  and  more  impressed  upon  me 
how  great  a work  can  be  done  with  the  children.” 
Little  Jimmie  loved  to  be  in  the  house  by  his 
mother’s  side  and  never  seemed  so  happy  as  when 
his  mother  would  give  him  a piece  of  dough,  and  let  him 


Little  William  James  his  Aunt  Jane,  and  Sister  Alice.  The  Log  House  where  William  James  was  Born. 

William  James  at  Seventeen. 

The  Frame  House  Built  in  1872.  W.  J.  Hall  at  Twenty-four. 


6 


enjoy  the  fun  of  making  it  into  cakes.  “ Jimmie  was 
always  rather  a delicate  child  ” his  mother  says,  and 
he  was  not  sent  to  school  until  the  spring  after  h-e  was 
seven  years  old.  Though  at  first  unwilling  to  go,  he 
soon  learned  to  love  the  schoolroom,  and  early  in- 
gratiated himself  into  the  good  graces  of  his  teacher, 
the  writer.  He  was  not  one  of  nature’s  favored  ones  ; 
he  had  no  uncommon  abilities  or  remarkable  talents, 
but  he  early  evinced  a love  of  reading,  and  would  be 
often  seen  poring  over  his  books  when  others  were  at 
play,  and  by  his  diligence  achieved  as  much  as  some 
of  his  more  brilliant  schoolmates.  His  progress  was 
slow  but  sure  ; scarcely  ever  discouraged,  of  an  en- 
thusiastic temperament,  “ Always  bound  to  succeed  “ 
seemed  to  be  his  motto ; and  he  then  showed  that  par- 
ticular trait  of  character  that  was  so  plainly  discerned 
in  all  his  after  life — an  indomitable  perseverance  ! 

William  James  was  a universal  favorite  among  his 
schoolmates ; always  good-tempered,  never  quarrel- 
some, he  soon  earned  the  soubriquet  of  “ Good-natured 
Jim,”  and  many  a dispute  did  he  settle,  and  his  kindly 
tone  of  persuasion  quelled  many  a quarrel. 

Thinking  over  his  school  days  reminds  me  of  the  only 
occasion  I ever  knew  William  James  to  resent  an  injury. 
Among  his  fellow-pupils  was  one  who  on  every  possible 
occasion  would  seek  to  make  him  fight.  As  their  road 
home  led  in  the  same  direction,  it  was  not  an  easy 
matter  to  shake  off  this  bully.  However,  with  his  usual 
good  nature  he  bore  the  jibes  and  sneers,  the  cuffs  and 
kicks  of  his  antagonist,  till  at  last  even  his  amiable  spirit 
was  aroused,  and  he  resolved  to  take  some  step  toward 
putting  a stop  to  his  persecution. 

One  evening,  after  being  struck  repeatedly  and  his 
collar  torn  off,  he  felt  patience  had  ceased  to  be  a 


7 


virtue,  and  stepping  into  the  home  of  his  uncle  he  said  : 
“Uncle  Boyd,  I have  been  pounded  and  mauled  by 
that,  boy  again,  and  can  stand  it  no  longer.  What' 
had  I better  do  ” “Why,  take  your  own  part,  Jim, 
and  give  him  a right  good  thrashing,  as  he  deserves, “ 
his  uncle  replied.  The  following  night,  when  he  was 
again  molested,  he  acted  upon  his  uncle’s  advice,  and, 
to  the  surprise  of  all,  sent  his  persecutor  home  a sadder 
and,  we  hope,  a wiser  boy.  From  that  time  William 
James  was  allowed  to  walk  home  undisturbed.  It  was 
his  first  and  last  fight. 

Though  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Hall  nominally  held 
to  the  respective  Churches  of  their  families,  the  Presby- 
terian and  Anglican,  they  allowed  their  children  to 
attend  Methodist  Sunday  school  and  services  at  Glen 
Buell  schoolhouse,  and  here,  during  a powerful  revival 
held  by  Rev.  A.  D.  Traveller,  Jimmy  Hall,  then  a tall 
lad  of  fourteen,  felt  the  need  of  a Saviour  from  sin, 
but  he  hesitated  about  going  forward  to  the  altar. 
His  uncle,  William  J.  Bolton,  one  of  the  recent  con- 
verts, felt  impelled  to  go  and  speak  with  Jimmy,  which 
he  did.  Seeing  ‘his  hesitancy,  yet  intuitively  knowing 
the  struggle  going  on  in  the  boy’s  heart,  he  urged  him 
to  come  forward,  and  though  he  was  still  reluctant,  his 
uncle  threw  a kindly  arm  about  him  and  almost  drew 
him  from  his  seat  to  the  altar.  The  two  nights  follow- 
ing when  the  invitation  was  given,  he  went  of  his  own 
accord,  and  the  last  night,  October  23,  1874,  was  made 
happy  in  a pardoning  Saviour’s  love.  There  was  no 
unusual  demonstration,  but  his  joy  was  such  that  many 
remarked  it  and  still  remember  the  night  of  his  conver- 
sion. Mr.  O.  F.  Bulbs,  who  relates  these  incidents, 
adds  that  he  has  often  quoted  Jimmy  Hall’s  conversion 
in  answering  the  claims  of  some,  that  people  should  not 
3 


i8 


be  ur^ed  to  go  forward  at  such  times,  but  be  allowed  to 
go  of  their  own  freewill. 

Jimmy  Hall  thought  the  stars  never  shown  one  half 
so  bright  before  as  he  walked  home  that  October  night, 
his  young  heart  all  aglow  with  love  to  the  dear  Saviour 
he  had  found.  What,  think  you,  was  his  first  step  ? 
He  went  and  told  his  mother  ! and  yet  this  lad  was  nat- 
urally bashful  and  reticent. 

William  James  connected  himself  with  the  Church  of 
his  choice,  the  Wesleyan  Methodist,  which  at  that  time 
held  services  on  alternate  Sundays  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  the  Glen  Buell  schoolhouse.  In 
1884  these  two  Churches  were  united  into  one,  the 
Methodist  Church  of  Canada. 

M'ethinks  the  query  may  arise  that  in  one  naturally 
so  amiable  as  Jimmy  Hall  there  would  be  no  marked 
change  after  his  conversion.  Not  so  ! from  that  period 
till  the  day  he  bade  us  all  good-bye  everyone  was  aware 
of  a, change.  It  was  felt,  a subtle,  undefinable  influ- 
ence one  can  scarcely  explain.  I never  met  with  one 
so  thoughtful.  He  was  constantly  watching  for  an 
opportunity  of  doing  a kind  act ; if  a pencil  were 
dropped,  he  was  the  first  to  spring  forward  and  recover 
it,  the  first  to  replenish  the  fire,  bring  a pail  of  water, 
and  to  show  those  innumerable  attentions  that  count  so 
much  and  cost  so  little.  \^et  this  boy  had  no  wonder- 
ful genius,  no  brilliant  talents,  only  a loving  heart,  soft- 
ened and  mellowed  by  the  hallowed  influence  of  reli- 
gion. He  invariably  came  into  the  schoolroom  with  a 
smile.  I often  took  pleasure  in  watching  him.  He 
would  open  his  arithmetic  and  begin — first  glancing 
down  the  page  to  see  if  there  were  any  “hard  ones” — 
then  pausing  for  a moment,  as  it  were,  to  gain  courage; 
number  one  completed — a few  moments  longer — num- 


19 


her  two  has  been  successfully  solved;  now  for  number 
three — ah  ! my  boy  is  puzzled.  He  tries,  erases,  then 
tries  again,  and  is  baffled.  I leave  my  desk  and  go  to 
his  seat.  “Sliall  I not  help  you?”  I ask.  “Are  you 
not  inclined  to  give  it  up?”  “ O,  no,”  he  exclaims  ; 
have  no  notion  of  such  a thing,”  and  like  the  spider  in 
Bruce’s  history,  he  tries  again,  till  his  patience  and 
perseverance  are  rewarded.  I once  asked  him  if  he 
were  going  to  be  a farmer.  “No,”  he  replied;  “a 
farmer  I can  never  be;  what  am  I fitted  for?”  “A 
minister  or  a doctor,  my  boy.”  “If  I could  attain 
either,”  he  answered  ; “but  I hardly  dare  hope  I shall 
be  good  or  wise  enough.”  Good  enough!  I thought  ; 
wf)uld  there  were  more  pupils  like  William  James  Hall  ! 

“ None  knew  him  but  to  love  him, 

Nor  named  him  but  to  praise.” 

The  old  stone  schoolhouse  still  stands — the  place 
where  he  first  learned  to  read  and  spell ; other  faces 
are  there,  other  voices  heard  ;\his  desk  may  be  occupied 
by  a more  brilliant  student,  but  the  loving  smile  and 
pleasant  “ Good  morning  ” of  my  hero  cannot  be  seen 
or  heard.  In  a far-away  land  he  is  sleeping  ; among 
strangers  he  is  resting;  but  his  memory  is  with  us  still, 
as  one  whose  life,  though  short,  was  not  in  vain — his 
influence  will  go  on  till  eternity  alone  shall  reveal  the 
good  he  has  accomplished. 

“ We  live  in  deeds,  not  years  ; in  thoughts,  not  breaths  ; 

In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a dial. 

We  should  count  time  by  heart  throbs.  He  most  lives 

Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best.” 

In  the  winter  of  ’76  William  James  resolved  to  leave 
school  and  devote  himself  to  learning  a trade.  Four 
years  before  his  father  had  built  a new  frame  house  for 


riJK  OM)  S'l'ONK  SCll()()l--H()USli  AT 


2 


his  family,  which  now  consisted  of  William  James,  Alice, 
John,  and  Lillie,  and  some  years  later,  Clifford,  the 
youngest,  was  born.  During  the  building  of  the  new 
• house  Jimmy  had  spent  most  of  his  time  with  the  car- 
penters and  became  much  interested  in  their  work. 
Later  he  showed  considerable  skill  in  repairing  things 
about  the  house,  and  in  fashioning  little  articles  of  use 
or  ornament,  and  he  now  decided  when  opportunity  af- 
forded, to  try  what  he  could  accomplish  in  this  line. 
In  January,  1877,  the  opportunity  came,  and  he  went 
to  Athens,  Ont.,  to  learn  the  cabinet  and  carpemry 
trade  with  Mr.  T.  G.  Stevens  of  that  place.  He  was  a 
faithful  and  painstaking  journeyman,  employing  every 
moment  of  his  time  to  the  best  advantage.  Mr.  Stevens 
was  carrying  on  quite  an  extensive  business  in  carpen- 
try, cabinetmaking,  and  undertaking,  and,  besides  Wil- 
liam James,  employed  quite  a number  of  young  journey- 
men. When  in  the  course  of  their  work  these  young  men 
would  complete  a coffin,  one  of  them  would  sometimes 
get  into  it.  This  at  first  was  quite  a shock  to  the  rather 
timid  nature  of  William  James,  but  he  got  used  to  it,  and 
by  the  time  he  had  finished  his  first  coffin  he  could  do 
the  same. 

Odd  moments  outside  of  shop  hours  he  often  used  in 
making  picture  frames  or  brackets  for  his  friends.  He 
was  faithful  in  attending  the  means  of  grace  at  his  church 
at  this  period,  but  as  yet  had  not  beconie  particularly 
active  in  winning  others  for  his  Saviour. 

“ There’s  a divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 

Rough-hew  them  how  we  will.” 

Jimmy  Hall  was  destined  for  another  calling  than 
that  for  which  he  was  now  so  industriously  laboring. 
He  was  a chosen  vessel  being  made  fit  for  his  Master’s 
use.  How  inscrutable  is  the  divine  purpose  ! The 


^ ' 


22 

knowledge  gained  in  Mr.  Stevens’s  shop  was  to  be  put 
to  use  in  far-off  Korea — in  training  the  native  carpenters 
to  make  foreign  articles  of  furniture,  in  superintending 
carpentry  and  repairs  on  mission  buildings  ; and  his  lov-  • 
ing  hands  fashioned  the  coffin  for  the  dead  darling  of 
more  than  one  of  the  missionary  families. 

After  about  two  years  spent  patiently  at  hard  work 
acquiring  his  trade,  his  health  began  to  fail,  a bad  cough, 
a hectic  fever,  and  a greatly  weakened  body  obliged  him 
to  give  up  the  work  which  he  always  loved,  and  return 
home  to  die  of  consumption,  as  both  himself  and  his 
friends  expected.  He  was  willing  to  die,  but  was  grieved 
at  the  thought  that  came  heavily  pressing  upon  his  mind, 
that  should  he  die  now,  he  would  meet  his  Saviour 
“ empty-handed.”  The  following  hymn  which  he  heard 
sung  for  the  first  at  this  time,  exactly  expressed  his 
feelings: 

“ ‘ Must  I go  and  empty-handed,’ 

Thus  my  dear  Redeemer  meet  ? 

Not  one  day  of  service  give  Him, 

Lay  no  trophy  at  His  feet. 

Cho. — “ ‘ Must  I go  and  empty-handed,’ 

Must  I meet  my  Saviour  so  ? 

Not  one  soul  with  which  to  greet  Him  ? 

Must  I empty-handed  go  ? 

“ Not  at  death  I shrink  nor  falter. 

For  my  Saviour  saves  me  now  ; 

Hut  to  meet  Him  empty-handed. 

Thought  of  that  now  clouds  my  brow. 

“ O,  ye  saints,  arouse,  be  earnest. 

Up  and  work  while  yet  ’tis  day. 

Ere  the  night  of  death  o’ertakes  thee. 

Strive  for  souls  while  still  you  may.” 

Sarah  A.  Sturgeon. 


23 


CHAPTER  II. 

Consecration  in  Early  Manhood,  1878-1881. 

“ Take  my  life,  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  Thee.” 

On  the  farm  again — Seeking  entire  consecration — The  blessing  re- 
ceived— His  own  description — Miss  Havergal’s  consecration 
hymn — Establishes  the  family  altar — Health  restored — Re- 
solves to  better  qualify  himself  for  soul-winning — Goes  back  to 
school — His  teacher’s  reminiscences — Letter  to  his  teacher — 
Various  incidents  of  his  home  work — Becomes  a book  agent — 
Early  evangelistic  labors — Mrs.  P'indlay’s  account.  • 

It  is  a melancholy  pleasure  for  me  to  pay  this  tribute 
of  respect  to  the  memory  of  my  much  beloved  and 
greatly  lamented  friend,  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D. 
My  acquaintance  with  him  began  in  the  summer  of 
1878,  when  stationed  in  Farmersville,  now  Athens,  Out. 
I found  him  a young  man  of  not  very  prepossessing  ap- 
pearance, between  eighteen  and  nineteen  years  of  age. 
He  was  living  with  his  father  whom  he  assisted  on  his 
farm  not  far  from  Glen  Buell,  County  of  Leeds,  Onf. 

Although  a member  of  the  church  and  a faithful  at- 
tendant upon  the  means  of  grace,  and  also  a diligent 
worker  in  the  Sabbath  school,  there  was  not  anything 
very  striking  in  his  experience,  nor  marked  in  his  life. 
He  kept  on  “the  even  tenor  of  his  way,”  respected 
and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Some  time  after  I became  his  pastor,  and  while  en- 
deavoring to  preach  the  doctrine  of  “ Christian  Perfec- 
tion,” as  taught  in  the  Scriptures  and  so  clearly  stated 


24 


in  Methodist  theology,  Mr.  Hall  saw  his  privilege  rn 
Christ  Jesus.  He  at  once  set  himself  to  seek  in  right 
good  earnest  the  blessing  of  ‘‘perfect  love.”  He  did 
not  seek  long  until  he  obtained  ; for  whatever  he  un- 
dertook he  accomplished. 

At  first  his  timid  nature  shrank  and  held  him  back 
with  the  fear  that  he  would  be  required  to  say  or  to  do 
things  for  which  he  might  be  ridiculed,  but  he  felt  he 
must  trust  God  in  this  too,  and  that  at  any  cost  he 
cared  more  to  please  God  than  for  what  man  might  say 
of  him.  So  laying  all  upon  the  altar,  making  a com- 
plete surrender,  he  became,  as  he  himself  expressed, 
“ willing  to  be  whatever  God  required,  to  do  whatever 
he  commanded,  and  to  suffer  whatever  his  providence 
appointed.” 

The  following  is  a brief  description  of  this  change  in  his 
life,  written  in  Brother  Hall’s  own  words : 

“ I was  converted  to  God  when  but  a boy  of  fourteen.  My 
conversion  was  as  clear  as  the  noonday.  For  some  time 
my  life  was  perpetual  sunshine.  Not  a shadow  crossed 
my  path.  But  unexpected  trials  and  temptations  came. 
Duty  became  a burden,  and  many  times  I trembled  be- 
neath the  weight  of  the  cross.  At  this  juncture  I left 
home  to  learn  the  carpenter  and  cabinetmaking  trade, 
but  at  the  end  of  one  and  one  half  years  I was  obliged 
to  give  up  the  work  through  ill  health.  I went  home, 
as  I thought,  to  die.  O,  what  dark  days  ! Going  out 
into  eternity  without  having  won  a single  soul  for  Christ. 

“ I could  not  bear  to  harbor  the  thought.  I promised 
God  if  He  would  restore  me  to  health  and  strength  I 
would  consecrate  my  life  entirely  to  Him.  Rev.  D. 
Winter  had  just  come  to  our  circuit  and  was  preaching 
the  glorious  doctrine  of  ‘ Holiness.’  I don’t  see  why 
many  good  people  oppose  this  doctrine.  I love  it ; it  was 


25 


just  what  my  soul  was  longing  for.  I made  a full  sur- 
render of  my  all  to  God,  and  He  gave  me  His  all.  I 
received  the  evidence  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
God’s  Son,  cleansed  me  from  all  sin.  I only  then  really 
began  to  live.  O,  what  a change  it  wrought  in  my  life  ! 
My  heart  was  filled  to  overflowing  with  love  to  God 
and  man.” 

He  frequently  sang  Frances  R.  Havergal’s  consecra- 
tion hymn.  It  had  become  the  language  of  his  heart, 
and  his  whole  after  life  was  a most  beautiful  personifi- 
cation of  it : 

“ Take  my  life,  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  Thee  ; 

Take  my  hands,  and  let  them  move 
At  the  impulse  of  Thy  love. 

Take  my  feet,  and  let  them  be 
Swift  and  beautiful  for  Thee  ; 

Take  my  voice,  and  let  me  sing 
Always,  only,  for  my  King. 

Take  my  lips,  and  let  them  be 
Filled  with  messages  for  Thee  ; 

Take  my  silver  and  my  gold. 

Not  a mite  would  I withhold. 

Take  my  moments  and  my  days, 

Let  them  flow  in  endless  praise  ; 

Take  my  intellect,  and  use 
Every  power  as  Thou  shalt  choose. 

Take  my  will  and  make  it  Thine, 

It  shall  be  no  longer  mine  ; 

Take  my  heart,  it  is  Thine  own. 

It  shall  be  Thy  royal  throne. 

Take  my  love  ; my  God,  I pour 
At  Thy  feet  its  treasure  store  ; 

Take  myself,  and  I will  be 
Ever,  only,  all  for  Thee.” 

And  this  was  the  beginning  of  one  of  the  most  earnest, 
devoted,  and,  withal,  successful  Christian  lives  I have 
4 


26 


ever  known.  He  was  seized  with  an  almost  overwhelm- 
ing passion  for  the  salvation  of  his  fellow-men.  The 
first  duty  that  appeared  to  him  was  that  of  establishing 
family  prayers  in  his  own  home.  At  first  he  led  them 
alone,  but  it  was  not  long  before  his  father  helped,  and 
that  family  altar  exists  to-day,  and  no  doubt  has  had  its 
influence  in  bringing  each  of  its  members  into  the 
Church. 

His  health  gradually  improved  in  answer  to  earnest 
prayer  for  God’s  blessing  on  the  means  employed.  I 
believe,  as  he  always  claimed,  that  his  restoration  to 
health  was  in  connection  with  his  full  consecration  to 
God.  He  became  able  to  resume  his  work  occasionally. 
At  home  he  had  fitted  up  a shop  where  he  still  contin- 
ued from  time  to  time  to  ply  hammer  and  saw.  How- 
ever, he  had  resolved  to  devote  himself  to  soul-winning. 
This  thought  was  ever  uppermost  in  his  mind.  “ I have 
but  one  short  life  to  live,  how  best  can  I employ  it  ? ” 
He  found  his  education  lacking,  his  means  limited  ; but, 
nothing  daunted,  he  at  once  set  about  qualifying  himself 
intellectually  for  a life  of  usefulness.  He  had  no  sym- 
pathy with  the  foolish  sayings  that  “ignorance  is  the 
mother  of  devotion,”  and  “ the  less  one  knows  the  better 
the  Holy  Ghost  can  use  him.”  He  resolved  to  go  to 
school,  and  went  back  to  the  old  schoolroom  in  the 
stone  schoolhouse  at  Glen  Buell,  which  was  then  under 
the  efficient  management  of  Miss  Lettie  Karley.  Here, 
under  the  inspiration  of  a new  purpose,  he  applied  him- 
self diligently  to  his  studies. 

Miss  Karley  (now  Mrs.  Kendrick,  of  Comber,  Ont.) 
sends  the  following  reminiscences  of  these  days  : 

“ It  was  in  my  second  year  of  teaching  at  Glen  Buell 
that  I first  met  W.  J.  Hall.  He  called  at  my  school  one 
morning  and  told  me  how  he  had  worked  at  learning  a 


27 


trade  until  his  health  failed  and  he  had  feared  consump- 
tion. His  education,  he  said,  was  very  limited,  but  if  I 
wouldn’t  put  him  in  the  second  class  he  would  like  to 
come  to  school.  I assured  him  everything  would  be 
satisfactory,  and  the  next  morning  I had  one  more  big 
boy  added  to  our  number.  I think  he  was  nineteen 
years  old  at  this  time,  looking  very  thin  and  pale.  He 
was  quite  backward,  having  little  knowledge  of  gram- 
mar, history,  or  geography,  and  was  therefore  quite  un- 
fitted for  the  senior  classes,  but  ‘Jimmy,’  as  we  all  famil- 
iarly called  him,  was  ever  active,  and  while  the  juniors 
were  being  instructed  in  these  subjects  we  always  had 
liis  attention,  and  it  was  really  astonishing  how  rapidly 
he  progressed.  I think  he  passed  into  the  high  school 
at  Christmas,  1880.  There  was  something  endearing 
about  Jimmy’s  disposition.  He  had  no  enemies — every 
one  loved  him,  and  those  who  knew  him  best  loved  him 
most.  I boarded  at  Mr.  Gilroy’s,  and  Jimmy  used  fre- 
quently to  come  there  to  get  help  in  his  lessons,  and  to 
visit  the  sick  room  of  Mrs.  Gilroy’s  mother,  who  was  an 
invalid  for  several  years.  She  was  a pious  Quaker  lady, 
and  was  quite  well-versed  in  simple  healing  arts.  She 
took  an  especial  interest  in  Jimmy,  and  many  an  hour 
he  spent  gathering  herbs  for  her,  and  making  them  into 
simple  decoctions  and  syrups.  People  often  urged  him 
to  aim  at  becoming  a minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  1 be- 
lieve his  inclination  strongly  led  him  that  way.  Perhaps 
his  mother’s  wishes,  together  with  the  advice  of  this 
dear  old  Quaker  friend,  had  an  influence  upon  him  to 
become  a doctor.  ‘ Thou  wast  born  to  be  of  great  use 
to  mankind,  William  James,’  she  would  say.  ‘Nature 
has  made  thee  a physician  ; thou  must  minister  to  both 
body  and  soul.’ 

“ One  day  1 remember  telling  him  I expected  to  see 


28 


him  write  M.D.  after  his  name  yet.  A few  days  after 
he  asked  me  why  I had  spoken  as  I had,  saying  that  it 
was  his  ambition  to  spend  his  life  for  the  good  of  per- 
ishing souls.  I shall  never  forget  his  look  of  satisfaction 
when  I told  him  that  was  wliy  1 chose  that  profession 
for  him  ; that  I thought  no  one  had  a better  opportunity 
of  doing  good  than  a doctor.  In  time  of  pain  and  sick- 
ness, the  strong  become  weak,  and  often  feel  the  need  of 
something  more  than  weeping  friends  or  human  hands 
can  give,  and  in  these  tender  moments  may  become 
converted  through  the  influence  of  a Christian  doctor. 

“ Time  and  its  many  changes  rolled  on,  and  my  boy 
‘ Jimmy,’  after  spending  a few  years  of  mental,  labor, 
writes  his  name  Rev.  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D.  How  it  pleased 
me  to  gaze  upon  that  name  ! I felt  paid  a thousandfold 
for  the  little  extra  time  I had  spent  with  him.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a copy  of  a letter  he  wrote  me  when  about  to 
leave  as  a medical  missionary  for  the  foreign  field  ; 

“ ‘On  board  Empress  of  Japa?i, 
“‘Vancouver,  B.  C.,  November  i8,  1891. 

“ ‘ Dear  Mrs.  Kendrick  : 

“ ‘ If  you  imagine  I have  quite  forgotten  you,  I assure 
you  I have  not.  I have  often  thought  of  writing  to  you, 
but  there  have  been  so  many  things  pressing  upon  my 
time  that  I have  not  done  it.  I shall  never  forget  your 
kindness  and  the  deep  interest  you  have  taken  in  me, 
which  has  been  used  in  a great  measure  to  make  my 
life  what  it  is  to-day.  Since  I saw  you  last  God  has 
wonderfully  used  me  and  blessed  my  feeble  efforts,  and 
now  the  great  purpose  and  ambition  of  my  life  is  about 
to  be  realized.  I am  to  have  the  privilege  of  carrying 
the  Gospel  to  those  who  have  never  heard  of  a Saviour’s 
love.  I have  received  my  appointment  as  a medical 


29 


missionary  to  Korea.  I am  now  on  board  of  the  Em- 
pf'ess  of  Japa7i,  which  sails  for  the  Orient  at  daybreak 
to-morrow.  I know  you  are  interested  in  all  the  affairs 
of  your  boys,  and  I feel  free  to  tell  you  that  I am  en- 
gaged to  Dr.  Rosetta  Sherwood,  a graduate  of  the 
Woman’s  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania.  She  is  now 
in  charge  of  a hospital  in  the  foreign  field.  I am  sure 
God  will  bless  my  efforts  to  extend  His  kingdom  among 
the  heathen.  I am  going  forth  in  His  strength,  de- 
termined that  my  life  shall  be  spent  entirely  to  God’s 
glory.  How  happy  it  has  been  for  the  last  few  years  ! 
I have  seen  His  guiding  hand  in  all  things.  Rom.  viii, 
28,  has  been  fully  realized.  I let  Him  choose  my  way 
and  everything  in  life,  and  He  chooses  so  much  better 
than  I would  ever  have  thought  of  doing. 

“‘I  can  never  repay  you  for  all  you  have  done  for 
me,  but  Fathei-  will.  Please  remember  me  kindly  to  Mr. 
Kendrick.  Yours  in  Jesus,  • W.  J.  Hall.*’.” 

At  the  same  time  Brother  Hall  was  so  faithfully  pur- 
suing his'  studies  in  the  schoolroom,  he  was  very  ear- 
nest in  his  work  for  God.  How  he  prayed  and  labored 
for  the  salvation  of  souls!  I well  remember  when  hold- 
ing special  services  in  Glen  Buell  schoolhouse,  as- 
sisted by  the  Rev.  M.  Somerville,  how  faithfully 
Brother  Hall  attended  the  meetings,  and  how  diligently 
he  toiled  for  souls.  And  while  he  did  not  neglect  his 
studies,  he  certainly  was  in  “labors  abundant  ” for  his 
• Master.  The  Sabbath  school,  his  especial  delight,  felt 
his  power.  Never  was  a boy  in  the  neighborhood 
passed  without  the  inquiry,  “ Do  you  go  to  Sunday 
school?”  With  a smile  and  a kind  word  for  everyone, 
he  not  only  sang  “ Gather  Them  In,  ” but  went 
about  gathering  them  in — were  they  poor,  it  but  in- 


30 


creased  his  interest  in  them.  How  many  picnics  and 
excursions  for  their  pleasure  and  profit  the  Sabbath 
school  children  can  still  remember  that  he  originated 
for  them!  His  generous  donations  to  church  and  Sab- 
bath school  were  never  accompanied  by  ostentatious 
display — he  gave  as  God  prospered  him — his  first  earn- 
ings being  consecrated  to  God.  One  of  his  efforts  was 
the  procuring  of  an  organ  for  the  Sunday  school  ; who 
else  would  have  had  courage  to  canvass  a neighborhood 
so  sparsely  settled  ? but  the  necessary  amount  was 
raised,  many  subscribing  who  would  have  refused  any 
other  person. 

When  diphtheria  first  made  its  appearance  in  Glen 
Buell  it  was  a disease  dreaded  by  all.  Few  dared 
approach  a house  where  it  had  alighted.  A certain 
family  lost  a child,  a little  boy  lay  dead  with  no  one  to 
perform  the  last  sad  office.  On  learning  the  particu- 
lars Brother  Hall  went,  laid  the  child  out,  did  all  he 
could  for  the  afflicted  ones,  returned  home,  and 
changed  his  clothes  in  an  adjoining  building,  that 
others  might  not  incur  danger.  Though  naturally  timid 
he  did  that  which  others  would  shrink  from,  counting 
not  his  life  dear  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 

The  people  in  Glen  Buell  knew  Brother  Hall  well; 
coming  in  and  out  among  them  as  he  did,  many  of 
them  his  relatives,  they  had  ample  chance  to  form 
their  estimate  of  his  character.  “I  never  saw  Jimmy 
angry,  ” was  remarked  by  one  of  his  aunts,  into  whose 
home  he  was  almost  a daily  visitor.  “ O,  you  could  not 
make  Jim  mad,  ” said  one  of  his  schoolmates.  Even 
scoffers  at  religion  would  say  of  him,  “ O,  Jimmy  Hall 
is  all  right;  we  never  doubt  his  religion.”  Thank  God 
for  those  whose  daily  lives  can  never  be  questioned. 
Inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  Brother  Hall’s  thoughts. 


31 


prayers,  purpose  in  life,  were  to  bring  those  about  him 
to  Christ,  In  conversation  once  with  his  former  em- 
ployer, Mr.  Stevens,  he  remarked,  “It  is  a real  luxury 
to  win  souls  for  Jesus.  ” 

Nothing  caused  him  to  swerve  for  a single  moment 
from  his  purpose  to  gain  an  education.  His  father, 
however,  was  not  in  sympathy  with  the  idea,  his  health 
having  failed  in  his  attempt  to  learn  a trade,  he  fore- 
saw only  failure  in  this  project  also,  so  after  complet- 
ing public  school  he  was  allowed  to  shift  for  himself  ; but 
he  was  not  discouraged,  and  was  ready  to  do  anything 
to  gain  an  honest  penny  in  order  to  accomplish  the 
end  in  view. 

He  became  d^'book  agent^  and  such  was  his  kindness 
of  disposition  and  so  earnest  his  perseverance  that  he 
succeeded  admirably.  He  thoroughly  believed  in  the 
necessity  of  putting  forth  effort  to  distribute  good  liter- 
ature among  the  people  of  his  neighborhood  and  vi- 
cinity. At  the  same  time  he  saved  up  his  small  profits 
carefully  for  the  next  school  term.  The  new  edition 
of  the  Methodist  Hymnal  was  the  first  book  he  can- 
vassed for.  Later  he  took  up  John  B.  Gough’s  Plat- 
form Echoes^  The  Royal  Path  of  Life,  Moody's  Works, 
Mother,  Home,  and  Heaven,  Chase's  Recipe  Book,  The 
Christian  s Secret  of  a Happy  Life,  Miss  Havergal’s 
Af emorials.  Life  of  Belle  Cook,  and  others  of  like  char- 
acter, He  never  started  out  to  sell  books  without  seek- 
ing divine  assistance  in  his  work,  a plan  that  might 
well  be  followed  by  those  similarly  engaged.  He  also 
acted  as  agent  for  the  Sun  Life  Assurance  Company,  of 
Canada,  and  in  this  he  was  eminently  successful.  Mr. 
McWilliams,  the  cashier,  upon  learning  of  his  death, 
wrote  in  a note  to  Mrs,  Hall : “Allow  me  to  offer  my 
heartfelt  sympathy  with  you  in  your  bereavement.  I 


32 


was  personally  acquainted  with  your  late  husband,  and 
esteemed  him  very  highly  as  a friend.  It  seems  sad 
to  think  of  his  being  stricken  in  the  prime  of  life,  but 
there  is  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  he  died  with 
his  ‘hand  to  the  plow.’” 

As  a Christian  worker,  he  excelled.  Not  because  of 
the  brilliancy  of  his  talents,  but  because  of  his  entire 
abnegation  of  self  and  complete  consecration  to  God. 
He  labored  with  me  in  evangelistic  work  at  Mallory- 
town.  North  Augusta,  Carleton  Place,  and  Portage  du 
Fort.  He  spent  his  time  when  not  in  meetings  in  sell- 
ing books,  and  was  at  the  same  time  faithful  in  dealing 
with  souls. 

Sister  Ella  Birdsell  writes  : “ I was  a member  of  the 
Athens -praying  band,  of  which  Brother  Hall  was  one  of 
our  most  efficient  leaders.  There  were  a number  of 
young  people  in  it,  and  it  was  a cause  of  regret  any 
time  he  was  obliged  to  be  absent.  Coming  and  going 
as  we  usually  did  in  loads,  his  presence  was  a guard 
against  any  appearance  of  levity  that  might  arise.” 

Mrs.  Rev.  J.  Findlay,  of  Beachburg,  Ont.,  formerly 
Miss  Williamson,  who  was  associated  with  Brother 
Hall  in  several  evangelistic  campaigns,  kindly  furnishes 
us  with  the  following  account  : 

“ I have  not  known,”  writes  Mrs.  Findlay,  “ a purer 
or  more  lovable  character  than  that  of  him  whom  his 
Christian  brothers  and  sisters  familiarly  called  Jimmy 
Hall,  who  went  from  us  and  laid  down  his  life  in  heathen 
lands.  It  was  through  working  with  him,  and  largely 
because  of  his  kindly,  persistent  importunity  that  I went 
into  the  evangelistic  work,  and  have  so  often  been 
blessed  in  seeing  sinners  turn  from  death  to  life,  and 
from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God. 

“ I first  met  Brother  Hall  in  the  winter  of  1880,  when 


33 


he  came  with  some  other  students  to  those  meetings  for 
the  promotion  of  holiness  held  in  the  basement  of  the 
old  Canada  Methodist  Church,  by  Rev.  D,  Winter. 
Later  we  were  associated  in  the  Athens  praying  band, 
which  Rev.  W.  Blair  organized.  Among  other  mem- 
bers of  this  band,  who  later  became  successful  public 
workers  in  the  Master’s  vineyard,  were  Sisters  Birdsell 
and  Mason.  It  was  largely  through  Brother  Hall’s  in- 
fluence and  encouragement  that  they,  too,  entered  the 
evangelistic  work.  The  praying  band  held  meetings  at 
all  the  appointments  of  the  Athens  circuit.  Upon  the 
Sabbath  we  were  often  invited  to  other  places,  holding 
sometimes  three  services  a day.  Those  were  blessed 
times  of  toil  for  Jesus.  Later,  Brother  Hall  organized 
evangelistic  campaigns  for  us  at  Glen  Buell,  Union 
Springs,  and  Manherds.  He  was  a most  efficient  leader. 

“Brother  Hall,”  Mrs.  Findlay  continues,  “could 
not  be  regarded  above  the  ordinary  as  a preacher,  but 
in  prayer,  few,  if  any,  whom  I have  known,  could  com- 
pare with  him  in  the  qualities  that  constitute  a success- 
ful suppliant  at  the  throne  of  divine  grace.  His 
prayers  were  both  an  inspiration  and  a benediction  to 
me,  as  they  doubtless  were  to  others.  He  was  char- 
acterized by  great  humility.  He  did  obey  the  injunc- 
tion, ‘ in  honor  preferring  one  another.’  Without  pride, 
or  egotism,  or  vanity,  he  seemed  to  be  wholly  dead  to 
self.  This  made  cooperation  and  work  with  him 
specially  pleasant. 

“ If,  after  he  had  gotten  me  to  ‘take  the  meeting,’  as 
we  called  the  giving  of  the  exhortation,  it  seemed  a 
failure  in  my  own  eyes,  he  would  say  that  he  knew  God 
used  my  talks  to  the  good  of  souls.  I was  often 
tempted  to  shrink  from  this  more  public  work,  and 
would  wish  him  to  make  the  exhortation,  but  he  would 
5 


34 


say,  ‘ I think  the  people  would  prefer  you.’  If  this  was 
not  a stretch  of  courtesy,  it  must  have  been  because  of 
the  novelty  of  a woman  preaching.  Possibly  many  did 
come  out  of  curiosity  in  those  days — but  often  ‘ those 
who  came  to  mock,  remained  to  pray.’  In  either  case, 
Brother  Hall  saw  no  impropriety  or  loss  of  importance 
in  encouraging  female  evangelists  and  giving  them  a 
prominence  in  his  meetings,  which  he  could  better  have 
taken.  Perhaps,  like  Paul,  he  was  willing  to  be  ‘all 
things  to  all  men,  that  he  might  by  all  means  save 
some.’ 

“In  1884,’’  she  adds,  ‘‘I  labored  with  him  at  Glen 
Buell,  where  he  was  teaching  school.  The  meetings 
were  held  during  the  summer  holidays.  They  were 
well  attended,  and  the  Lord  blessed  the  work  in  a very 
remarkable  manner  ; many  souls  were  born  into  the 
kingdom,  and  some  were  wholly  sanctified  to  God.  If, 
without  presumption,  we  may  link  the  human  instru- 
ment with  God’s  immediate  operation  on  the  souls  of 
men,  and  I believe  we  may,  since  God  works  by  human 
instrumentality,  then  we  may  well  believe  that  Brother 
Hall’s  influence  was  an  important  factor  in  the^  trans- 
forming work  that  took  place  there  at  that  time.  He 
was  known  by  the  people,  he  had  lived  his  religion 
among  them,  they  had  confidence  in  him,  and  belived 
that  he  loved  their  souls  and  was  anxious  for  their 
salvation.  God  honored  his  faith,  and  answered  his 
prayers,  and  blessed  his  unremitting  toil ; and  the  day 
of  judgment  alone  will  reveal  the  amount  of  good  which 
was  then  done  for  that  community.  Men  would  come 
into  the  services  at  night,  saying  that  during  the  after- 
noon they  had  to  leave  their  work  and  go  into  the  fence 
corners  to  pray  ! In  the  intervals  between  the  services 
Brother  Hall  and  I visited  the  people  in  their  homes. 


35 


singing,  talking,  and  praying  in  every  house.  Nor  did 
he  allow  his  feelings  or  sentiment  to  interfere  with  his 
purpose  of  getting  through  with  so  much  work  every 
day.  If,  from  some  cause  or  another,  I protracted  my 
talk  in  one  house  so  as  to  shorten  the  time  available 
for  others,  he  would  look  at  his  watch  and  say,  ‘ We 
have  so  many  more  calls  to  make  to-day.’  And  if  I got 
through  with  my  part  of  the  task  with  greater  prompti- 
tude in  another  home,  he  would  remark,  ‘You  did 
pretty  well  this  time.’  Tliere  was  no  dallying  in  these 
visits.  His  restless  zeal  was  as  a ‘fire  in  his  bones,’ 
and  with  business  promptitude,  he  hurried  from  one 
house  to  another  feeling  that  the  ‘ king’s  business  re- 
quired haste.’  But  the  most  striking  feature  of  the 
man,  like  Donald  Matthewson,  John  Ashworth,  and 
every  other  great  evangelist  from  Him  who  gave  His 
life  for  the  salvation  of  the  world  to  the  present,  was 
his  great  love  to  God  and  man.” 


D.  Winter. 


36 


CHAPTER  III. 

High  School  and  College  Days  in  Canada, 
1881-1887. 

If  there  be  some  weaker  one, 

Give  me  strength  to  help  him ; 

If  a blinder  soul  there  be, 

Let  me  guide  him  nearer  Thee  ; 

Make  my  mortal  dreams  come  true 
With  the  work  I fain  would  do  ; 

Clothe  with  life  the  weak  intent, 

Let  me  be  the  thing  I meant  ; 

Let  me  find  in  Thy  employ 
Peace  that  dearer  is  than  joy  ; 

Out  of  self  to  love  be  led 
And  to  heaven  acclimated, 

Until  all  things  sweet  and  good 
Seem  my  natural  habitude. 

— Whittier. 

At  high  school  — Appearance  — “Talking  religion” — Breakfast 
prepared  by  Hall — Methodical  as  a student — The  character  of 
his  reading — A revival — Organizes  a prayer  meeting  in  the 
high  school — Prof.  Jolliff’s  encomium — A coincidence — On  the 
playground — Marketing — Helping  the  preachers — Working  in 
recruits — 1883  gets  his  teacher’s  certificate — Begins  teaching — 
Extracts  from  his  diary — Decides  to  study  medicine,  to  the  sur* 
prise  of  many — 1885  enters  medical  department  cf  Queen’s 
University — Last  entry  in  diar)' — Organizes  the  first  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  of  the  Medical  College  of  Kingston — Letter  to  his  cousin — 
In  the  dissecting  room — Economy  — Attended  Queen  St. 
Methodist  Church — Sunday  school  work  at  Portsmouth — “ I 
do  like  to  get  hold  of  the  boys” — Visit  of  the  Rev.  John 
Forman — Becomes  a “ student  volunteer  ” — Attends  the  North- 
field  Convention — Meets  Dr.  Dowkontt — Decides  to  pursue 
his  medical  missionary  preparation  in  New  York. 


37 


It  was  January  i,  i88i,  that  I first  met  W.  J.  Hall 
at  the  High  School  at  Athens,  or  Farmersville,  as  it  was 
then  called.  My  recollection  of  him  at  that  time  is 
that  of  a tall  lanky  individual,  with  a slight  stoop  of 
the  shoulders,  and  a pale  solemn  countenance.  He 
wore  a split-tail  coat,  and  his  other  garments  seemed  to 
set  awkwardly  upon  him.  He  was  known  at  once  as  a 
very  “ religious  ” fellow,  one  who  attended  prayer  meet- 
ings, prayed,  and  spoke.  He  was  consequently  at  first 
the  subject  of  jesting  and  ridicule  on  the  part  of  some 
of  the  coarser  scholars  of  the  school ; especially  so,  as 
he  seemed  awkward  in  his  manners.  He  walked  with 
a long,  swinging  gait  that  was  peculiar,  and  I remember 
that  years  afterward,  when  he  and  I had  together  joined 
the  ambulance  corps  of  the  14th  Battalion  of  Rifles, 
Kingston,  he  found  it  difficult  to  keep  step  in  march- 
ing. He  was  not  essentially  attractive  in  face  or  figure  ; 
but,  by  the  power  of  the  grace  of  God,  his  was  a 
countenance  which  constantly  beamed  forth  a love  and 
compassion  that  was  divine,  and  which  had  truly  be- 
come one  of  the  most  beautiful  this  world  ever  sees. 

Hall  was  one  of  the  oldest  scholars  in  the  school 
when  he  entered.  We  were  in  different  classes,  and  did 
not  become  acquainted  at  once  ; although  long  after- 
ward he  told  me  that  from  the  time  he  first  entered  the 
school,  he  picked  me  out  as  one  to  be  prayed  for  and 
led  to  Christ  as  soon  as  possible.  That  was  his  way. 
He  always  had  three  or  four  or  more  boys,  usually 
younger  than  himself,  whom  he  considered,  all  unknown 
to  them,  as  his  especial  care,  whether  to  lead  them  to 
Christ,  or  to  train  and  help  them  along  in  the  Christian 
life,  as  the  case  might  be. 

His  habit  of  “talking  religion  ’’  to  the  boys,  was  not 
always  relished  by  those  not  yet  Christians.  But  his 


38 


was  a most  desig/ii/ig  mi?id  where  the  interests  of  Christ’s 
kingdom  were  concerned.  Not  always  brilliant  in  his 
classes,  yet  when  he  undertook  to  influence  a fellow- 
scholar  for  Christ,  none  equaled  him  in  tact.  At  one 
season  revival  services  were  being  carried  on  in  one  of 
the  Methodist  churches  of  Athens,  and  Hall  bent  every 
energy  toward  the  salvation  of  certain  among  the 
scholars.  I was  so  fortunate  as  to  have  this  man’s  in- 
fluence thrown  about  me  before  he  had  been  many 
months  at  school,  and  I shall  praise  God  for  it  as  long 
as  I live.  Now  I positively  hated  to  have  anyone 
“lecture  ” me  on  “religion,”  and  I did  not  like  it  a bit 
when  Hall  inveigled  me  into  a long  walk  one  moon- 
light night,  and  talked  to  me  and  tried  hard  to  get  me 
to  decide  for  the  Master.  I probably  showed  my  feel- 
ings by  my  actions,  for  only  a few  days  later  I was 
much  surprised  on  receiving  a call  from  him,  in  the 
evening,  at  my  room.  “ Now,”  I thought,  “ I am  in  for 
it.  He’s  cornered  me  here  in  my  room,  and  it  will  be 
nothing  but  religion  the  whole  evening.”  But  he  only 
wanted  a little  help  in  mathematics,  and  seemed  very 
grateful  to  me  for  giving  it.  He  gave  me  a hearty  in- 
vitation to  go  over  to  see  him  at  his  room,  and  said 
good  night.  I was  more  surprised  than  ever.  That  a 
man  like  Hall  could  spend  an  hour  or  more  alone  with 
a fellow  in  a room,  and  never  mention  the  disagreeable 
subject  once  ! He  wasn’t  such  a bad  sort  of  a fellow, 
after  all.  And  so,  by  his  consummate  tact,  he  won  us. 

He  was  so  quick  to  recognize  the  importance  of 
gaining  the  love  and  confidence  of  those  whom  he  was 
trying  to  lead  to  Christ.  I recollect  an  incident  that 
occurred  before  Hall  and  I were  very  well  acquainted. 
He  was  keeping  house  for  himself  at  the  time.  For 
economy’s  sake  he  in  company  with  his  cousin,  William 


39 


James  Drummond  (now  missionary  in  Nanking,  China), 
had  rented  two  little  rooms,  brought  furniture  and  bed- 
ding from  their  homes,  and  waited  entirely  upon  them- 
selves, preparing  their  own  meals,  etc.  On  this  par- 
ticular occasion  Hall  was  alone.  He  wanted  me  to  go 
over  to  stay  overnight  with  him.  I didn’t  want  to  go, 
because  I feared  the  probable  topic  of  conversation, 
but  finally  yielded  and  went.  Sure  enough  he  did  talk 
to  me  a little  on  the  subject  dearest  to  his  heart,  and 
which  seemed  always  uppermost  in  his  mind.  Then 
we  must  needs  have  family  prayer  together ; he  read 
and  prayed, — O,  so  fervently  ! — and  we  went  to  bed. 
It  so  happened  that,  for  some  reason,  breakfast  at  my 
boarding  house  was  put  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  I had  been  warned  to  be  back  in  time,  if  I 
wanted  any  breakfast.  At  about  5 a.  .m.  Hall  got  up, 
lit  his  lamp,  and  very  gently  hinted  that  it  was  nearly 
5 o’clock.  But  it  was  a dark  and  bitterly  cold  morn- 
ing in  winter,  and  I remained  in  bed.  We  rose  in  due 
course,  and  about  8 a.  m.,  after  some  brisk  work  on  his 
part.  Hall  and  I sat  down  to  a most  appetizing  break- 
fast of  fish  and  flour  gravy,  and  I enjoyed  it  immensely. 
Years  after,  he  told  me  the  agonies  of  mind  he  had  suf- 
fered that  morning.  The  staying  overnight  was  all 
right,  but  to  have  to  go  ahead  with  preparations  for 
breakfast,  under  the  circumstances,  was  certainly  more 
embarrassing  than  being  “ talked  religion  ” to  was  to 
me.  But  to  him  all  experiences  were  pleasant  so  long 
as  they  furthered  in  the  least  his  longing  desire  to  win 
some  one  to  Christ. 

Hall  was  a conscientious  student,  methodical  in  his 
habits,  believed  in  system,  and  as  a rule  worked  by  the 
aid  of  a time-table,  apportioning  his  time  to  the  best 
possible  advantage.  He  had  a keen  sense  of  the  value 


40 


of  time,  stimulated  to  the  highest  pitch  by  the  reading 
of  Smiles’  Self-help^  Todd’s  Studenfs  Manual^  Tact, 
Push,  and  Principle,  Successful  Men  of  To-day,  Self -effort. 
Life  of  Livingstone,  D.  L.  Moody  and  his  Works,  and 
other  like  books.  He  was  very  fond  of  such  books; 
was  always  discovering  a new  one  of  that  sort  from 
which  he  himself  first  derived  great  benefit,  and 
then  he  would  diligently  recommend  it  to  others.  By 
this  means  he  introduced  a great  deal  of  this  most 
helpful  literature  among  his  friends  and  fellow-scholars. 
He  kept  a small  daily  diary  at  school  and  got  a great 
many  other  scholars  to  do  the  same.  He  set  great 
value  upon  his  diary  as  a daily  record  of  his  Christian 
experience. 

It  was  nearly  a year  after  Hall  began  attending 
school  at  Athens  that  a most  successful  series  of  revival 
meetings  were  carried  on  in  the  Methodist  church.  The 
principal  speaker  was  a yoiing  man  named  Dorland,  of 
the  Friends.  At  these  meetings  Hall  was  one  of  the 
most  energetic  and  untiring  workers,  and  during  their 
course  he  had  the  great  joy  of  leading  several  of  the  high 
school  scholars,  for  whom  he  had  been  so  especially  pray- 
ing and  working,  to  the  penitent  bench — and  of  seeing 
them  soundly  converted  to  God.  Now  was  made  man- 
ifest the  genuineness  of  Hall’s  religion.  He  considered 
his  duty  toward  us  young  fellows  only  properly  begun 
when  he  had  helped  us  over  to  the  Lord’s  side.  Im- 
mediately by  his  suggestion  and  leading,  a little  prayer 
meeting  was  organized,  to  be  held  weekly  in  the  rooms 
of  five  or  six  of  us  in  succession.  Every  Monday  after- 
noon at  four  o’clock  when  we  were  free  from  school, 
we  made  our  way  to  the  room  of  one  of  our  number. 
Hymns  were  sung,  and  in  the  seasons  of  prayer  each 
one  of  us  was  expected  to  lead  in  prayer,  and  each  one 


41 


did  usually  pray — though  at  first  with  great  hesitancy  and 
much  stammering.  Scarcely  a meeting  passed  in  which 
we  did  not  one  and  all  give  in  our  testimony  for  Jesus. 
At  the  close  of  the  rheeting  a leader  was  appointed  for 
the  following  week,  and  some  such  subject  chosen  as 
witnessing,  private  prayer,  promises,  temptations,  etc. 

At  the  same  time  a holiness  meeting  was  being  car- 
ried on  every  Tuesday  at  4 p.  m.  by  some  of  the  more 
devout  members  of  the  Methodist  Church.  These 
meetings  Hall  faithfully  attended  himself,  while  he  en- 
deavored to  take  as  many  of  the  young  Christian  scholars 
with  him  as  he  possibly  could. 

A few  weeks  after  the  close  of  the  special  services. 
Hall,  with  a brain  full  of  plans  for  helping  young  Chris- 
tians, and  training  them  to  work  for  Jesus,  obtaining 
permission  from  the  teachers,  organized  a weekly  prayer 
meeting  in  one  of  the  class  rooms  of  the  high  school 
building.  Every  Wednesday  afternoon  at  four  o’clock, 
a goodly  portion  of  scholars  remained  to  the  meeting. 
Christian  boys  and  girls,  even  the  most  recent  converts, 
were  encouraged  to  take  their  turn  in  leading  the  meet- 
ings, to  testify  faithfully  before  their  fellows,  and  to 
lead  in  short  prayers.  Thus  were  these  babes  in  Christ 
nursed  and  helped  and  encouraged  by  Hall’s  noble  ex- 
ample and  faithful  teaching  until  they  developed  in 
nearly  every  case  a strong,  sturdy  Christian  character 
for  themselves. 

Rev.  T.  C.  Brown,  at  that  time  Hall’s  pastor,  relates 
that  in  conversation  with  Principal  J.  O.  Jolliff  of  the 
high  school  upon  the  subject  of  entire  sanctification, 
Prof.  Jolliff  said  that  of  a number  of  men  that  he  had  in- 
timately known  who  professed  holiness,  James  Hall  was 
the  only  one  in  his  estimation  that  lived  it.  He  had 
watched  him  in  the  schoolroom  and  upon  the  play- 
6 


42 


ground,  and  was  convinced  that  he  led  a holy  life. 
And  Rev.  Brown  adds,  “ He  was  not  brilliant,  but  he  was 
good — the  best  specimen  of  a young  man  I ever  met.” 
All  the  two  or  three  years  of  Hall’s  attendance  at  the 
Athens  High  School  he  practiced  the  most  rigid  econ- 
omy in  living.  At  first  he  and  W.  J.  Drummond  rented 
a room  together.  Afterward  he  and  W.  J.  Hayes  roomed 
together  and  provided  entirely  for  themselves. 

It  is  a singular  coincidence  that  three  of  the  William 
Jameses  who  at  Athens  High  School  were  preparing  for 
God’s  service  now  praise  him  together  in  heaven. 
William  James  Crummy  was  the  first  to  go.  In  a letter 
written  November,  1889,  from  New  York,  to  his  cousin, 
Miss  Rowsome,  Hall  says:  “I  was  greatly  shocked  to 
hear  of  the  sudden  death  of  W.  J.  Crummy.  How 
often  we  are  reminded  that  this  is  not  our  abiding  place 
and  to  be  ready  when  the  call  comes.  I spent  the  last 
Sunday  I was  at  home  with  W.  J.  Crummy — heard  him 
preach — W.  J.  Hayes,  W.  J.  Crummy,  and  myself  were 
together,  and  as  we  parted  that  night  we  knelt  together 
in  ^Ir.  Hayes’s  yard  and  had  a prayer  meeting.  Little 
did  we  think  it  would  be  our  last.  Our  next  will  be  a 
praise-meeting  I ” The  news  of  W.  J.  Hayes’s  death  was 
in  the  first  home  letter  that  Dr.  Hall  received  in  Korea. 
In  his  memory  the  doctor  presented  the  Glen  Buell 
Sunday  school  a library  consisting  of  over  one  hundred 
and  twenty  volumes,  and  on  the  church  wall  he  had 
erected  a marble  tablet,  with  the  following  inscription  : 
In  loving  memory  of 
WILLIAXl  J.  HAYES,  B.A., 
who  died  January  2,  1892, 
during  his  second  year  in  theology  in  Drew  Seminary, 
Madison,  N.  J.,  aged  24  years. 

“ Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord.” 


43 


Partly  because  it  took  so  much  time  marketing,  cook- 
ing, etc.,  and  partly  because  he  was  so  much  older  than 
the  average  schoolboy.  Hall  never  greatly  distinguished 
himself  on  the  playground.  He  did  play  football  a lit- 
tle, and  was  rather  fond  of  it,  but  he  was  naturally  awk- 
ward with  his  feet  and  legs,  and  sometimes  made  some 
wonderful  exliibitions.  The  boys  would  laugh  at  him, 
and  he  would  invariably  join  in  with  them,  enjoying  it 
himself  just  as  much  as  they.  Nobody  ever  offended 
him  by  laughing  at  him.  In  fact  in  all  the  years  of  my 
acquaintance  and  intimate  friendship  with  W,  J.  Hall, 
I don’t  remember  ever  having  seen  him  take  offense 
at  anything  or  anyone.  In  the  first  place  everybody 
liked  him;  even  those  who  felt  his  silent  presence  a re- 
proach to  them  for  their  way  of  living  could  not  but  re- 
spect him.  To  such  he  never  had  anything  but  a kindly 
word.  While  those  who  felt  the  warmth  of  his  inti- 
mate friendship  loved  him  too  well  to  ever  intentionally 
wound  his  feelings  in  the  slightest.  I recollect  entering 
a store  with  Hall,  on  one  occasion,  to  make  a purchase. 
When  about  to  wait  on  him  the  clerk  behind  the  coun- 
ter showed  some  rudeness  to  him.  Hall  took  it  in  a 
characteristic  way.  He  said  nothing,  but  quietly  com- 
pleted hisi  purchase  and  we  walked  out.  I said  to  him, 
“ If  that  clerk  had  treated  me  in  that  way  I would  have 
turned  and  walked  out  at  once.”  “Well,  now,”  he  re- 
plied, “ I was  simply  looking  out  for  my  own  interest  ; 
it  was  this  article  I wanted,  and  I didn’t  think  it  worth 
while  putting  myself  to  the  inconvenience  and  delay  of 
going  elsewhere  for  it.”  W.  J.  Hall’s  whole  being  was 
so  completely  saturated  with  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
that  it  had  become  well-nigh  impossible  for  anything  but 
love,  patience,  gentleness,  kindness,  forgiveness,  to  ever 
show  itself. 


44 


Hall  had  a clear,  ringing  voice  which  he  used  with 
good  effect  in  song  and  speech.  His  power  as  an  ex- 
horter  was  well  known,  and  often  taken  advantage  of  by 
overworked  preachers  of  Athens  and  vicinity.  I have 
heard  him  say  that  on  his  way  the  first  time  to  such  a 
service,  I think  it  was  at  the  Greenbush  Church,  he  felt 
so  weak  and  unable  to  perform  the  duty  that  he  had  to 
kneel  by  the  roadside  and  pray  for  strength.  Mrs. 
McLean,  at  whose  home  he  had  his  room,  said  she  always 
heard  him  praying  in  the  kitchen  Sunday  afternoons 
before  going  upon  these  appointments.  He  had  also 
a great  faculty  in  getting  others  interested  in  praying 
for  him  at  such  times.  His  cousin,  Alice  R.  Rowsome, 
relates  how,  one  Saturday  afternoon,  when  she  was  in- 
vited to  take  tea  with  him  at  Mrs.  McLean’s,  the  minis- 
ter called  to  get  him  to  take  one  of  the  services  the  next 
day.  Before  she  left  for  home  he  said  to  her,  “Now 
you  must  pray  for  me,  because  you  know  I have  that 
service  to-morrow.”  And  though  but  a little  girl  at  the 
time  she  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  responsibility 
placed  upon  her,  and  never  forgot  it. 

One  cold  night  in  winter,  crisp  and  clear,  one  of  those 
for  which  eastern  Ontario  is  famous,  a preaching  service 
was  due  in  a schoolhouse  a few  miles  from  Athens. 
But  the  minister  was  down  with  a heavy  cold,  and  Hall 
was  asked  to  take  it.  No  thought  of  refusal  ever  en- 
tered his  mind  at  such  a time.  It  was  a matter  of 
principle  with  him  never  to  say  no  when  a call  to  duty 
came.  Here  was  a glorious  opportunity  to  do  a little 
work  for  Jesus  ! But  he  could  not  content  himself  with 
going  and  holding  the  service  by  himself,  as  he  could 
have  done  with  perfect  satisfaction  to  the  people.  He 
must  work  in  a couple  of  those  raw  recruits.  G.  E. 
Hartwell  (now  Rev.  G.  E.  Hartwell,  B.A.,  B.D.,  of 


45 


the  Canadian  Methodist  Mission,  Chentu,  China)  and  I 
must  needs  go  along  to  help  and  'be  helped.  It  was 
arranged  that  Hartwell  should  preach,  while  I read  the 
Scripture  and  hymns,  and  Hall  should  pray.  He  liked 
no  other  part  better  than  that  assigned  him,  and  in  none 
could  he  work  with  better  effect.  His  faith  seemed  to 
reach  right  up  to  God,  and  as  his  clear,  strong  voice 
rose  in  fervent  prayer,  the  crowded  congregation  in  the 
little  schoolhouse  was  lifted  to  the  very  presence  of  the 
Saviour.  A great  blessing  fell  upon  everyone  present 
that  night.  And  as  we  rode  homeward,  with  the  stars 
shining  brightly  overhead,  and  the  hard  snow  sparkling 
and  glittering  beneath,  our  songs  of  praise  rang  out 
strong  and  joyous  on  the  clear  night  air. 

Hall  got  his  teacher’s  certificate  in  July,  1883,  and 
spent  a good  part  of  the  next  two  years  in  teaching, 
mostly  in  the  public  school  nearest  his  own  home,  Glen 
Buell. 

The  following  extracts  from  a brief  diary  kept  by 
Hall  for  a few  months  in  1884  will  best  give  an  idea  of 
his  life  at  this  time: 

“ January  i.  Praise  God  for  the  blessings  of  to-day  ! 
This  has  been  the  happiest  New  Year’s  Day  I ever 

spent.  O , one  of  my  dearest  and  best  associates, 

staid  with  me  last  night.  We  were  on  our  knees  before 
God  as  the  old  year  went  out  and  the  new  year  came 
in.  God  blessed  us,  and  we  gave  ourselves  afresh  to  His 
service.  I have  written  a whole  sermon  since  six  o’clock. 
It  is  not  my  words,  but  God’s.  O,  that  He  may 
enable  me  to  deliver  it  with  more  than  mortal  energy, 
and  to  Him  be  all  the  glory  ! 

“ January  3.  Just  commenced  teaching  to-day.  I have 
earnestly  asked  God  to  help  me  to  faithfully  discharge 
all  the  duties  that  devolve  upon  me,  and  I know  He 


46 


will.  Went  to  see  Uncle  Boyd  Hall  (his  great  uncle) 
to-night ; he  is  very  poorly  ; did  not  know  me. 

“ January  8.  Uncle  Boyd  died  this  morning  at  6:30.  I 
stayed  all  night.  Went  to  Brockville  to  see  about  cof- 
fin, etc.  Uncle  Boyd  is  at  rest.  He  toiled  faithfully 
for  Christ  for  many  years.  I remember  him  as  an 
earnest  worker  in  the  Sunday  school. 

“ January  12,  Saturday.  Got  my  room  arranged,  book- 
case and  stove  set  up,  and  everything  handy,  so  I am 
now  quite  comfortable.  Went  down  to  the  school- 
house  this  afternoon  and  put  up  some  mottoes  on  the 
walls. 

“ January  14.  Missionary  meeting  to-night ; appointed 
poor  me  to  fill  the  chair  ; did  the  best  I could;  signed 
$4.  I am  glad  I can  help  the  cause  of  Christ  more 
than  before. 

“ January  16.  This  is  my  birthday  ; twenty-four  years 
old.  How  time  flies  I but  none  too  fast  for  the  Chris- 
tian. Got  a letter  from  O . No  outward  influence 

does  me  as  much  good  as  O ’s  letters,  there  is  so 

much  of  Christ’s  spirit  in  them.  I am  glad  I have  such 
a noble  friend. 

“January  17.  At  school  I am  beginning  to  learn  more 
and  more  that  the  teacher  needs  a great  deal  of  grace  to 
enable  him  to  order  himself  aright.  It  is  the  hardest 
work  I ever  did.  I have  to  be  quite  stern,  but  I think 
I can  relax  after  a while.  I love  my  pupils,  and  I am 
endeavoring  to  do  them  all  the  good  I can.  I want  to 
set  that  example  before  them  that  shall  be  worthy  of 
imitation,  and  to  impress  upon  their  minds  truths  that, 
if  followed,  will  lead  them  to  lives  of  usefulness.  I 
desire  to  live  very  near  my  blessed  Redeemer  when  I 
have  so  many  little  minds  to  help  to  mold.  I feel  the 
need  of  spending  more  time  in  prayer  O,  for  more 


47 


of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable  me  to  rightly  discharge  my 
duties  ! I want  to  make  this  year  count  for  Christ. 

“January  23.  At  school  ; was  nearly  sick  all  day;  I 
never  needed  to  walk  closer  to  my  Saviour  than  this 
year.  It  is  a year  of  battling  with  the  stern  realities  of 
life.  I have  not  the  same  influences  thrown  around  me 
this  year  that  I had  last.  I find  it  difficult  to  do  just 
right.  But  God’s  grace  is  sufficient.  His  blood  does 
cleanse.  I am  glad  my  anchor  is  cast.  Christ  is  very 
Ijrecious. 

“ January  25.  At  scliool ; did  my  first  whipping  to-day, 
but  did  not  have  mucli  trouble.  I do  bless  God  from 
the  depths  of  my  heart  that  I am  His  child. 

February  12.  Took  one  of  my  pupils,  whom  I whipped 
yesterday  for  swearing,  aside  and  prayed  with  him. 

February  13.  At  school.  I feel  very  weary,  bodily, 
but  praise  the  Lord  I am  not  spiritually.  I find  I need 
lots  of  sleep  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  my  work. 
This  has  been  a good  day.  I have  been  very  near  my 
Saviour.  I praise  God  His  grace  is  sufficient  for  me, 
although  outward  circumstances  would  tend  to  disturb 
my  peace  within.  But  glory  to  God  ! they  can’t  drive 
His  love  out  of  my  heart.  When  I think  of  the  state 
our  neighborhood  is  in  I would  be  discouraged  did  I 
not  know  God  is  all  powerful.  Praise  His  name  ! 

“ February  16,  Saturday.  At  Kingston;  left  Brock- 
ville  at  2:10;  arrived  at  K.  4:15;  reached  Omar’s 
7 A.  M.  Went  down  to  the  market,  and  from  there  to 
college  ; went  through  arts  and  medical  colleges,  in- 
cluding dissecting  room.  After  dinner  went  to  the  peni- 
tentiary ; it  looked  dismal  enough.  In  the  evening  went 
to  hear  the  “ Salvation  Army,”  and  enjoyed  the  meeting 
splendidly. 

“ February  19.  At  school.  Told  the  pupils  all  about  my 


48 


trip  ; have  a full  school  now ; pupils  working  hard.  I 
wrote  out  some  items  for  the  Recorder  and  Times. 
Mr.  Gilroy  is  quite  sick  ; got  a letter  from  W.  J.  Drum- 
mond ; he  is  soon  going  back  to  college.  [Christ  is  all 
in  all  to  me.  His  blood  cleanses  from  all  sin.  I want 
to  do  more  for  Him.] 

“February  24,  Sunday.  I took  charge  of  Sunday 
school  for  Mr.  Gilroy.  ]Mr.  Blair  preached  ; we  had  a 
glorious  fellowship  meeting ; my  soul  is  full  of  the  love 
of  Christ ; am  to  preach  for  Mr.  Blair  at  Sheldon’s  next 
Sunday. 

“ March  7.  Social  to-night;  had  a very  good  time  ; the 
lecture  was  good;  i\Irs.  Gilroy  in  the  chair.  Took  in 
$16.13.  I stopped  at  R.  Sturgeon’s  to-night;  had  a 
good  visit  and  grand  time  at  family  prayers;  living  very 
near  my  Saviour;  His  love  does  fill  my  heart.” 

His  holidays  and  vacations  were  occupied  in  various 
ways,  now  in  bookselling,  again  in  life  insurance,  and 
at  another  time  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  a well- 
known  and  much-used  copying  machine. 

At  the  same  time  he  was  always  the  most  energetic 
worker  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  no  one  was  more 
regular  than  he  in  attendance  at  prayer  meeting. 
These  institutions  could  never  languish  while  W.  J. 
Hall  remained  in  the  neighborhood.  Should  the  spirit 
of  revival  take  hold  of  the  people,  then  Hall  was  fore- 
most in  the  fight,  cheering,  encouraging,  and  leading 
the  weaker  Christians  out  into  a fuller  life  in  Jesus,  and 
yet  working  most  earnestly  and  successfully  for  the 
salvation  of  the  unsaved.  Small  wonder  that  people 
everywhere  marked  him  for  the  ministry,  and  great  was 
their  surprise  and  disappointment  when  he  declared 
his  intention  of  studying  medicine.  Many  talked  with 
him,  warned  him  of  the  sadness  of  finding  when  too 


49 


late  that  he  had  made  the  great  mistake  of  his  life  in  not 
choosing  the  sphere  for  which  he  was  evidently  so  well 
fitted,  and  urged  him  to  reconsider.  But  he  quietly 
followed  the  dictates  of  his  own  sanctified  judgment^ 
and  after  life  showed  that  as  a medical  missionary,  so  far 
from  having  made  a mistake,  he  had,  on  the  contrary,, 
chosen  the  very  sphere  which  the  Lord  intended  for  him. 

October,  1885,  found  Hall  in  Kingston  ready  to 
begin  his  long  anticipated  course  in  medicine.  October 
2,  1885,  he  writes  in  his  diary:  ‘‘Left  home  to-day  for 
college ; reached  Kingston  5 p.  m.  Had  many  serious 
thoughts.  I have  consecrated  myself  afresh  to  God.” 
“October  3.  Found  a boarding  place;  think  I will 
like  it.  Glad  to  meet  old  friends  again.” 

The  press  of  his  new  work  soon  forced  him  to  drop 
his  diary,  but  the  last  entry  in  it  is  characteristic : 
“November  9.  Went  for  a walk;  spoke  to  Isaac 
Oser  about  his  soul ; he  wants  to  be  a Christian  ; I am 
to  call  for  him  9 a.  m.,  Sunday.” 

The  medical  college  had  never,  up  to  session  1885- 
86,  had  any  organized  Christian  work.  There  was  no 
medical  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association,  nor  was 
there  a prayer  meeting  of  any  sort.  There  was  a flour- 
ishing university  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association, 
but  meetings  were  always  held  in  one  of  the  class  rooms 
of  the  arts  department,  and  it  was  commonly  looked 
upon  as  an  “arts”  institution.  It  remained  for  W.  J. 
Hall  to  organize,  or  at  least  to  be  the  leading  spirit,  in 
the  organization  of  the  first  Young  Men’s  Christian 
Association  of  the  medical  college  at  Kingston.  Early  in 
November,  1885,  the  organization  was  complete  and  the 
first  regular  weekly  meeting  held.  The  president  for  the 
first  year  was  J.  F.  Smith,  afterward  medical  missionary 
to  the  province  of  Honan,  China,  while  the  recording 


()Ffici:rs  oi'  I iik 


5 


secretary  is  now  a medical  missionary  to  the  Indians  of 
British  Columbia,  Dr.  A.  E.  Bolton.  Dr.  D.  A.  Galla- 
gher, now  practicing  in  the  United  States,  was  vice 
president;  Dr.  T.  J.  Jameson,  practicing  in  Ontario, 
was  treasurer;  Dr.  Hall  was  recording  secretary;  Dr. 
A.  G.  Allen,  practicing  in  Ontario,  was  librarian.  Dr. 
J.  C.  Connell,  M.A.,  now  an  eye  and  ear  specialist  in 
Kingston  ; Dr.  W.  H.  Downing,  the  gold  medalist  of 
the  class,  and  myself  formed  a committee.  Though 
Hall  was  quite  content  to  fill  one  of  the  minor  offices 
of  this  infant  association,  his  was  never  the  disposition 
to  be  content  witli  looking  on  and  doing  nothing.  At 
that  time  there  was  a very  small  percentage  of  Christian 
students  in  the  institution,  and  a still  smaller  percentage 
who  were  willing,  amidst  such  surroundings,  to  show 
their  colors  bravely  and  work  faithfully  for  Christ  and 
his  cause.  And  as  Hall’s  genius  for  organization  had 
shown  itself — just  as  when  in  the  high  school  at  Athens 
— so  now,  also,  his  faculty  for  getting  hold  of  the  young 
men  began  to  manifest  itself  at  once.  He  selected 
several  of  the  younger  students,  and  by  preference 
from  the  earlier  years  at  college,  and  began  to  pray  in 
private  for  them,  just  as  he  had  done  for  his  fellow- 
scholars  years  before.  Presently  his  active  brain  was 
busy  with  plans  for  helping  them,  whether  collectively 
or  individually.  He  took  the  greatest  pleasure  in 
showing  them  little  kindnesses,  especially  if  he  had  to 
go  out  of  his  way  in  order  to  accomplish  his  object. 
Before  the  young  man  knew  what  he  was  about.  Hall 
would  have  him,  in  the  most  innocent  and  agreeable 
manner  possible,  inveigled  off  to  some  meeting ; or 
more  likely,  perhaps,  would  have  him  in  the  privacy  of 
his  room  engaged  in  a most  earnest  conversation  on  the 
all-important  question  of  his  salvation.  More  than  one 


52 


young  student,  now  practicing  physicians  of  several 
years’  standing,  trace  their  conversion  to  God  direct  to 
the  influence  of  W.  J.  Hall  during  his  two  years  in  the 
medical  college,  Kingston,  while  many  more  who 
were  Christians  at  the  time  received  invaluable  help 
and  permanent  stimulus  from  his  consecrated  walk  and 
conversation. 

“ Hand-picking,”  “ Personal  work,”  “ All  at  it  and 
always  at  it,”  “In  season  and  out  of  season,”  were 
some  of  his  favorite  mottoes.  And  while  he  never 
neglected  the  regular  work  of  attending  lectures  and 
his  home  study,  yet  he  managed  at  the  same  time  to 
accomplish  an  almost  incredible  amount  of  Christian 
work.  His  daily  routine  in  class  room  and  hospital 
wards  was  marked  by  unfailing  punctuality  and  regu- 
larity in  attendance  at  lectures.  These  were  a matter 
of  principle  with  him. 

Under  date  of  February  ii,  1886,  he  wrote  to  his 
cousin,  Alice  R.  Rowsome,  who  was  then  in  high  school 
at  Athens  : “ It  always  does  me  good  to  hear  from 
the  dear  friends  where  I spent  many  days  that  have 
been  among  the  brightest  and  best  of  life.  I always 
look  back  to  my  school  days  in  Farmersville  with  a 
great  degree  of  comfort.  There  I formed  ties  that  will 
only  be  broken  by  death,  to  be  again  united  on  the 
other  shore.  I like  Kingston  very  much.  I have 
enough  work  to  keep  me  busy  night  and  day.  I have 
laid  down  definite  rules  for  work,  exercise,  and  sleej), 
and  I intend  to  stick  to  them.  I find  my  college  mates 
very  sociable,  friendly,  and  agreeable  ; they  appear  to 
have  great  respect  for  the  rights  of  their  fellow-stu- 
dents. I find  life,  to  a great  extent,  to  be  just  what  we 
make  it.  If  we  are  virtuous  and  true,  our  life  will  not 
only  be  a blessing  to  ourselves,  but  to  others.” 


53 


In  reference  to  the  work  of  dissection,  he  did  what 
he  could  by  word  and  example  to  combat  a not  uncom- 
mon notion  that  tobacco  or  drink  is  a necessity  for 
health  or  comfort  in  the  dissecting  room.  He  was,  of 
course,  “total  abstinence ” to  the  core,  and  while  he 
sought  always  not  to  make  himself  obnoxious  by  hasty 
or  ill-timed  advocacy  of  his  principles,  yet  when  he 
believed  duty  demanded  it,  he  was  ready  to  sacrifice 
everything  else  to  the  determination  to  make  a bold 
stand  for  the  right,  whether  for  temperance  or  any 
other  Christian  principle.  His  frank  candor  and  patent 
honesty,  and  the  absence  of  anything  bearing  the 
remotest  resemblance  to  cant,  always  won  him  the 
respect  and  admiration  even  of  those  vVho  were  in  prac- 
tice diametrically  opposed  to  him.  Yet  Hall  was  never 
slow  to  join  with  his  fellow-students  in  any  and  every 
movement  that  had  for  its  object  the  advancement  of 
the  best  interests  of  the  college. 

In  Kingston,  as  elsewhere,  during  all  the  years  of 
preparation  for  his  lifework,  Hall  was  extremely  eco- 
nomical. During  the  holidays  he  earned  and  saved 
what  was  sufficient,  with  the  greatest  care  in  expenditure, 
to  put  himself  through  the  following  term  at  school  or 
college.  He  denied  himself  almost  everything  that  could 
possibly  be  done  without.  He,  along  with  two  or  three 
kindred  spirits,  tried  boarding  themselves.  They  bought 
such  things  as  oatmeal,  milk,  and  bread,  and  with  the  aid 
of  an  oilstove  they  prepared  in  their  rooms  two  very 
plain  but  cheap  and  wholesome  meals  a day.  For  the 
third  meal  they  usually  succeeded  in  obtaining  special 
rates  at  boarding  house  or  hotel.  It  was  a great  satis- 
faction to  Hall  to  be  able  in  this  way  to  support  while 
educating  himself,  and  to  cause  his  hard-working  parents 
no  expense  whatever  on  his  account. 


( 


54 


He  chose  for  his  church  Queen  Street  Methodist, 
and  attended  there  regularly  while  he  was  in  Kingston. 
Among  the  congregation  he  made  many  warm  per- 
sonal friends,  in  intercourse  with  whom  he  was  often 
much  blessed  and  a blessing. 

He  was  always  fond  of  Sunday  school  work,  and  for 
month  she  used  to  walk  regularly  to  Portsmouth  every  Sun- 
day afternoon,  a distance  of  at  least  two  miles.  There  he 
taught  a class  of  boys  in  the  little  Methodist  church. 
“I  do  like  to  get  hold  of  the  boys,  ” he  would  exclaim, 
with  that  peculiar  warmth  of  manner  that  was  all  his 
own.  And  he  did  get  hold  of  them,  for  he  always  had 
them  loving  him  before  he  was  with  them  two  Sundays. 
The  secret  of  it  was  that  he  loved  them  first  with  all 
the  warmth  of  his  great  heart,  and  they  unconsciously 
paid  him  back  in  kind.  Many  a boy  in  Portsmouth, 
Kingston,  and  in  Leeds  County,  Ontario,  many  a one  in 
New  York  city,  and  afterward  many  a boy  in  Korea 
will  never  be  able  to  forget  the  magnetic  influence  over 
them  for  good  of  the  consecrated  personality  of  W.  J. 
Hall. 

It  was  much  the  same  in  the  case  of  “boys  of  older 
growth  ” with  whom  he  became  intimate.  “ For  genu- 
ine out  and  out  goodness,  under  all  circumstances  in 
life,  I never  knew  his  equal,  ” is  the  testimony  of  every 
one  of  that  inner  circle  who  were  privileged,  at  one 
period  or  another  of  his  varied  life,  to  count  themselves 
his  friends. 

The  great  turning  point,  or,  perhaps,  rather  the  great 
culmination  in  the  life  aims  of  W.  J.  Hall,  came  in  the 
spring  term  of  session  1886-87  while  at  college  in 
Kingston.  He  and  some  of  his  intimate  tellow-students 
had  talked  over  the  subject  of  foreign  missions  together 
previous  to  this  time,  but  he  had  not  thought  very 


55 


seriously  of  going  himself  as  a foreign  missionary.  He 
did  not  consider  himself  capable,  but  he  was  always  un- 
derestimating his  own  powers.  He  had  gone  so  far, 
however,  in  his  unselfislf'  desire  to  further  the  cause  of 
foreign  missions,  as  to  offer  to  stay  at  home  himself, 
and  support  one  of  his  intimate  fellow-students,  if  the 
latter  would  be  willing  to  go.  It  was  in  February,  1887, 
that  Queen’s  among  other  Canadian  colleges  was 
visited  by  Rev.  Jolm  Forman,  now  a missionary  in 
India.  That  winter  saw  the  beginning  of  the  now 
world-wide  and  world-famous  student  volunteer  move- 
ment for  foreign  missions.  As  an  immediate  result  of 
Mr.  Forman’s  visit  to  Queen’s,  twenty-one  students 
from  arts,  medicine,  and  divinity  signed  the  pledge. 
‘•We  are  willing  and  desirious,  God  permitting,  to  be- 
come foreign  missionaries.  ” Hall  was  one  of  the  first  in 
the  medical  college  to  put  down  his  name,  and  from 
that  time  forward,  while  he  never  allowed  his  new  reso- 
lution and  his  consecration  to  the  Master’s  service  in  a 
foreign  land  to  interfere  with  present  duties,  yet  he  al- 
ways held  himself  in  readiness  to  take  advantage  of  the 
time  when  “God  would  permit,”  and  the  way  would 
open  up. 

In  July,  1887,  Hall  was  able  to  carry  out  a long- 
cherished  plan,  that  of  attending  Rev.  D.  L.  Moody’s 
annual  summer  school  for  students  at  Northfield, 
Mass.  He  traveled  on  the  cheapest  possible  rail- 
way ticket,  and  took  a tent  with  him  (one  of  his  own 
manufacture),  besides  his  own  bedding  and  cooking 
utensils.  He  camped  out  along  with  a great  many 
other  students,  and  was  at  the  smallest  possible  expense 
during  the  twelve  days’  session.  While  at  Northfield  he 
met  Dr.  Dowkontt,  director  of  the  International  Med- 
ical Missionary  Society  of  New  York,  and  from  him  he 


56 


learned  of  the  advantages  afforded  by  this  society  for 
obtaining  not  only  a medical,  but  a msdical  missionary 
training  in  New  York  city.  After  a long,  careful,  and 
prayerful  consideration  of  the  situation  he  decided  that 
the  Lord  wanted  him  to  finish  his  medical  course  in 
New  York,  and  to  New  York  he  accordingly  went  for 
his  third  and  fourth  sessions  in  medicine,  graduating 
with  M.D.  from  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College  in 
April,  1889.  Omar  L.  Kilborn. 


57 


CHAPTER  IV. 

In  Training  for  Mission  Service,  1887-1889. 

Expect  great  things  from  God  ; 

Attempt  great  things  for  God. 

— Wm.  Carey. 

Meeting  at  Moody’s  Convention  in  ’87 — “ Orders  from  headquar- 
ters ” — Goes  to  New  York  city — Introduced  to  life  in  the 
Fourth  Ward — Roosevelt  Street  Medical  Mission — Given  a 
Sunday  school  class  of  two  ! — Later  becomes  superintend- 
ent— An  incident  in  self-denial — Limited  means — Blackens 
shoes  and  tends  furnace — An  incident  in  faith — His  influence — 
The  secret  of  his  power — The  kind  of  a man  fitted  for  labor 
abroad — Need  of  more  means  for  training  such  men — A tribute. 

It  is  usual  to  use  the  words  “the  late"  when  writing 
of  one  who  has  passed  from  this  earthly  life.  But  it 
seems  difficult,  nay,  impossible,  to  write  these  words 
concerning  our  departed  Brother  Hall.  “To  depart 
and  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better,”  so  wrote  that 
veteran  Christian  warrior-orator,  Paul,  and  so  we 
believe. 

To  write  a sketch  of  our  devoted  Brother  Hall  is  no 
easy  task  for  one  who  knew  him,  lived  and  labored  with 
him,  as  the  writer  did.  Yet  it  is  with  feelings  of  deep 
gratitude  to  God  for  the  privilege  of  helping  such  a 
man  that  these  lines  are  penned  to  honor  one  who 
honored  his  God,  and  was  honored  by  Him  according  as 
He  has  promised. 

In  the  summer  of  1887  the  writer  was  spending  a few 
days  at  the  Northfield  Conference  of  Christian  Workers. 

He  had  given  an  address  upon  medical  missions,  and 
8 


•(I'lMI.I  II,I,>I().V  ,I,V  MOOIIDS  S AdOOlV 


59 


invited  any  of  those  pr^ent  whose  hearts  were  turned 
toward  this  twofold  agency  to  confer  with  him  upon 
the  subject.  Among  those  who  responded  to  the  in- 
vitation was  a tall,  well-built  young  man,  one  of  the 
Canadian  contingent  in  attendance  at  the  conference. 

His  diffident  and  unassuming  manner  was  the  first 
thing  that  impressed  itself  upon  the  mind,  but  the  warm 
welcome  given  soon  dispelled  the  feeling  of  shyness, 
and  he  spoke  freely  of  his  heart’s  desire  to  be  a blessing 
to  his  fellow-man  in  the  most  needy  part  of  the  world, 
wherever  God  should  in  His  providence  call  him. 

There  was  no  frothy  excitement,  no  setting  forth  of 
all  the  wonderful  things  he  expected  to  accomplish,  but 
a quiet,  steady  purpose,  having  as  a foundation  the  de- 
sire to  be  rather  than  to  do.  The  hour  spent  in  con- 
versation and  prayer  was  not  one  to  be  ever  forgotten. 

The  counsel  given,  to  “obtain  his  orders  from  head- 
quarters,’’ was  not  presented  in  vain  ; and  with  a full 
conviction  that  such  guidance  had  been  granted  Mr. 
Hall  came  to  New  York  in  September  of  that  year  to 
pursue  medical  study  and  engage  in  actual  medical  mis- 
sion work  in  the  great  city,  the  better  to  fit  him  for 
service  elsewhere. 

In  company  with  a dozen  other  students  of  the  Inter- 
national Medical  Missionary  Society,  young  Hall  was“in- 
troduced’’  to  life  in  the  Fourth  Ward  of  New  York  city. 
“Why,  doctor,  I never  knew  that  there  was  any  such 
place  as  this,  ’ he  remarked,  as  his  soul  within  him 
shrank  at  the  awful  sights  and  sounds  of  sin,  sickness, 
and  sorrow  around  him.  And  yet  this  was  the  best 
possible  field  and  way  in  which  to  prepare  him  for  the 
work  to  which  he  was  called. 

With  the  first  Sunday  in  the  session  came  the  re- 
opening of  the  Sunday  school  at  the  medical  mission  in 


6o 


Roosevelt  Street — a place  that  had  been  one  of  the 
vilest  liquor  stores  from  the  time  the  house  had  been 
built,  thirty  years  before,  up  to  the  day  when,  five  years 
ago,  the  liquor  seller  was  moving  out  at  one  door,  with 
his  whisky  bottles  and  devilish  business,  and  the  doc- 
tor was  moving  m at  the  otlier,  with  his  medicine  bottles 
and  the  Gospel. 

Mr.  Hall  was  given  two  small  boys  to  take  charge  of 
for  his  first  class.  Somewhat  surprised,  he  remarked, 

“ Doctor,  I think  I can  manage  five  or  six  ; I used  to 
have  twice  that  number  in  my  class  at  home.”  “Very 
well,  Mr.  Hall,  try  your  hand  with  these  two  first,  and 
we  will  give  you  some  more.” 

Poor  fellow,  he  soon  found  out  the  difference  between 
(juality  and  qua?itity,  for,  coming  to  the  superintendent 
a few  minutes  later,  he  said,  “ Doctor,  if  you’ll  take  one 
of  those  boys  away.  I’ll  try  to  manage  the  other,  but  I 
can’t  do  anything  with  the  two  of  them  ; they  beat  all  I 
ever  saw  or  heard  of.” 

Two  years  later,  however,  he  was  able  to  manage  the 
whole  school  as  superintendent,  a position  he  held  for  a 
year  at  that  mission,  and  for  the  two  years  following  at 
the  iMadison  Street  Mission,  in  the  next  ward.  To-day 
it  would  be  safe  to  say  that  no  name  is  better  known 
and  revered  in  that  whole  neighborhood  than  that  of  Dr. 
Hall.  It  was  a very  common  sight  to  see  our  friend 
surrounded  by  half  a dozen  or  more  of  the  very  poorest 
children,  who  would  seek  to  clasp  his  hand,  as  they  '' 
saluted  him  with,  “ Hallo,  Dr.  Hall  ; how  are  you  ?” 

Not  only  did  he  win  the  hearts  of  the  children,  but  of 
their  parents  also.  It  mattered  little  to  him  whether 
they  “sent  for  the  doctor”  at  2 a.  m.  or  at  2 p.  m.,  he 
was  always  ready,  by  day  or  by  night,  to  help  them  in 
their  times  of  need. 


6i 


A straw  will  show  the  course  of  the  tide  as  clearly  as 
a log  of  timber.  One  winter’s  night  an  old  man  called 
at  the  Fourth  Ward  Mission  at  the  close  of  the  Gospel 
service  which  Dr.  Hall  had  conducted,  and  desired  to 
see  the  writer  very  urgently.  Upon  Dr.  Hall  giving  him 
the  address,  about  three  and  one  half  miles  distant,  the 
old  man  asked,  “ Do  you  think  he’ll  be  gone  to  bed  by 
eleven,  as  it  is  half  past  nine  now,  and  I don’t  think  I 
can  walk  it  in  less  than  an  hour  and  a half  ? ” A word 
to  the  7Vtse  is  sufficient  ; so,  too,  to  the  loving.  The 
doctor  had  but  five  cents  in  his  pocket  with  which  to 
ride  home,  but  he  gave  these  to  the  old  man,  and 
walked.  He  did  not,  however,  let  him  know  that  fact, 
and  it  was  only  discovered  by  close  questioning  on  the 
part  of  the  writer,  the  old  man  having  arrived  so  long 
before  the  doctor  leading  to  suspicion  as  to  the  cause. 
Ah  ! how  this  sin-stricken  world  wants  such  men  as 
Hall,  men  willing  to  walk,  that  others  may  ride  ! And 
yet  it  was  just  like  him.  He  would  buy  cheap  clothes 
and  shoes,  and  really,  at  times,  go  shabby  ; but  he  did  it 
to  help  some  others  poorer  than  himself,  and  he  found 
his  greatest  pleasure  in  so  doing. 

During  his  course  of  study  his  means  were  very  lim- 
ited, and  it  was  not  possible  for  him,  as  with  many  an- 
other brave  soul,  to  provide  for  all  his  needs  and  ex- 
penses. 

“Doctor,  can’t  you  find  me  something  to  do,  I don’t 
want  to  have  anything  for  nothing;  and  if  you  could 
get  me  a place  where  I could  go  and  work  for  a couple 
of  hours  a day,  I could  get  on  first-rate,  and  you  see 
I need  some  exercise,  and  that  would  be  my  gymna- 
sium. 

Such  an  opportunity  opened  up  for  our  friend,  and 
he  rejoiced  in  earning  three  dollars  a week  by  cleaning 


62 


boots,  getting  up  coals,  and  looking  after  the  heating 
furnace  at  the  residence  of  Andrew  Green,  Esq.,  late 
comptroller  of  New  York  city.  Here  he  found  warm 
friends  in  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kneudsen,  who  took  much  in- 
terest in  the  medical  missionary  students.  When  he 
took  his  degree  of  M.D.  it  was  remarked,  “ Now,  doctor^ 
you  will  have  to  give  up  that  job.”  “ O,  no  ! ” he  re- 
plied ; “ I don’t  want  to  do  so  just  yet,  for  although 
now  I am  going  to  get  an  allowance  from  the  Mission 
Board  for  a while,  yet  I want  to  help  so  and  so  (mention- 
ing three  young  men),  they’re  having  a hard  time  get- 
ting through  college,  and  you  know  they’re  good  fellows 
and  we  were  boys  at  school  together.”  Yes,  when 
at  school  he  had  been  the  means  of  leading  those  three 
boys  to  Christ,  and  he  had  the  joy  of  having  all  three 
of  them  at  the  mission  with  him  on  more  than  one  oc- 
casion, and  he  could  well  say,  as  he  tried  to  say  of 
every  day,  ’''Friends,  this  is  the  happiest  day  of  my 

lifer 

Dr.  Hall,  was  a man  of  great  faith  in  God.  It 
was  the  faith  of  a child — simple,  implicit.  At  the  time 
of  graduating  from  Bellevue  College,  he  had  not  the 
money  to  pay  for  his  well-earned  diploma.  He  said  : 
“ This  money  must  be  forthcoming  or  I cannot  grad- 
uate, I have  exhausted  all  my  resources  in  the  endeavor 
to  raise  the  amount,  but  I have  failed.  I took  the  mat- 
ter to  God  in  prayer.  The  college  days  drew  to  a close 
without  the  money,  the  hour  came  for  the  gathering  of 
the  graduates  and  still  no  money,  but  I had  faith;  I joined 
the  company,  and  just  as  I was  leaving  the  house  the 
money  was  placed  in  my  hand.  From  whom  it  came 
I do  not  know,  but  my  faith  in  God  is  stronger  than 
ever.” 

The  influence  of  such  a man  cannot  be  measured 


63 


or  stated.  The  students  of  the  International  Medical 
Missionary  Society  would  have  indeed  missed  a great 
deal  had  Dr.  Hall  not  come  to  New  York  as  he  did. 
The  personal  influence  of  the  self-denying,  Christlike 
spirit  of  Dr.  Hail  upon  his  fellow-students,  as  also 
upon  his  patients — men,  women,  and  children  alike — is 
immeasurable  by  mortal  man.  Soon  after  he  left  for 
Korea  one  of  his  fellow-students  asked,  “ Doctor,  what 
is  it  about  Hall  that  gives  him  such  power  ? ” “ Doubt- 

less it  is  the  power  of  God  in  him,  but  if  you  ask  fur- 
ther I should  say  in  a word  it  is  because  he  is  like 
Nathanael,  f?'ee  from  guile!"  was  the  reply.  When 
the  Saviour  found  such  a man  He  asked  all  the  world 
to  look  at  him,  saying,  '"‘‘Behold."  Just  such  persons 
God  is  looking  for  to-day. 

It  was  no  wonder  that  a strong  feeling  should  be 
manifested  against  his  leaving  New  York  by  those 
among  whom  he  had  lived  and  labored,  when  the  time 
came  for  his  departure  to  Korea  ; but  it  is  just  such 
men  who  are  needed  in  the  lands  of  darkness  and 
heathenism,  men  of  mark  at  koine,  men  who  have  so 
lived  as  to  be  missed  when  they  go,  are  such  as  are  best 
fitted  to  labor  abroad. 

No  greater  pleasure  may  be  desired  or  possessed 
than  that  of  in  any  way  aiding  such  men  to  prepare 
themselves  for  their  lifework  of  devotion  to  God  and 
service  to  man.  The  writer  desires  no  greater  privilege 
on  earth  than  this,  he  only  desires  more  means  and 
better  facilities  to  do  such  work.  Of  the  more  than  one 
hundred  young  men  and  women  students  who,  after  be- 
ing trained  with  us,  have  gone  out  to  the  dark  places 
of  the  earth,  there' to  heal  sick  and  suffering  bodies  and 
win  dark  and  sinful  souls  to  Christ,  there  has  not  gone 
a greater  or  nobler  soul  than  William  James  Hall. 


64 


When  Sir  Humphrey  Davy  in  response  to  his  friends’ 
request  made  out  a list  of  his  many  important  discov- 
eries, he  wrote  at  the  bottom  of  the  list  in  large  letters, 
“Michael  Faraday,  the  greatest  of  them  all."  He 
had  aided  a poor,  struggling  young  man  in  his  earnest 
endeavors  to  succeed,  until  he  eclipsed  his  teacher  and 
friend  ; and  in  this  he  could  and  did  rejoice. 

George  D.  Dowkontt. 


65 


CHAPTER  V. 

Medical  Mission  Work  in  New  York,  1889-91. 

“ Said  Christ  our  Lord,  ‘ I will  go  and  see 
How  the  men,  my  brothers,  believe  in  me.’ 

He  passed  not  again  through  the  gates  of  birth. 

But  made  himself  known  to  the  children  of  eartli.” 

Necessity  for  medical  mission  work  in  New  York  city — Doctor 
Hall  tells  his  own  story — Work  among  drunkards  and  thieves — 
Solving  the  problem — Work  among  Roman  Catholics  and 
Jews — Testimonies — Two  families  on  Water  Street — Another 
-family  relieved;  Fred’s  prayer — Importance  of  winning  the 
chikh'en  for  Jesus — A man  of  deeds,  who  worked  while  others 
questioned. 

When  the  Master  visited  the  great  city  there  were 
palaces,  but  tliey  had  no  charms  for  him-.  There  were 
parks  and  gardens,  but  they  attracted  him  not.  His 
steps  turned  toward  the  pool  on  the  brink  of  which  lay 
a great  multitude  of  impotent  folk,  of  blind,  halt,  and 
withered.  It  was  not  the  great  nor  the  wealthy,  but  the 
Son  of  God 

“ Sought  out  an  artisan, 

A low-browed,  stunted,  haggard  man. 

And  a motherless  girl,  whose  fingers  thin 
Pushed  from  her  faintly  want  and  sin.” 

In  our  great  cities,  crowded  with  the  poor  and  suf- 
fering, in  far-away  mission  lands,  he  who  seeks  the  sick 
with  words  to  cheer,  sympathy  to  comfort,  medicine  to 
heal,  and  Gospel  to  save,  will  find  eager  welcome  and 
garner  large  results  in  his  Christlike  service. 

The  masses  of  the  people  of  New  York  are  poor,  liv- 
9 


66 


ing  in  tenement  houses  where  disease  is  always  a guest, 
the  fires  of  fever  never  burn  out,  the  cough  of  the  con- 
sumptive is  never  stilled,  children  cry  pitifully,  moth- 
ers, with  aching  head  and  heart,  drag  themselves  to 
their  work.  Hospitals  are  always  full,  and  multitudes 
wait  in  their  homes  the  touch  of  the  healer,  the  medi- 
cine of  the  physician,  the  sympathy  of  the  brother. 

Dr.  Hall,  the  beloved  physician,  a brother  born  for 
adversity,  went  as  an  angel  of  light  among  the  sick 
and  dying  in  the  densely  packed  districts  of  lower  New 
York.  His  work  was  a romance  of  grace.  Without 
money  and  without  price  he  went  at  the  call  of  anyone, 
at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night,  his  delight  being  to  re- 
lieve suffering  and  alleviate  pain.  None  were  too  poor 
or  vicious  for  him  to  serve.  No  cellar  too  damp,  no 
garret  too  high  for  him  to  visit.  Among  murderers, 
thieves,  thugs,  harpies  of  vice  and  crime,  he  went  in  his 
gentle,  health-giving.  Gospel  ministry. 

The  spirit  of  our  loved  friend,  the  Christlike  Hall, 
still  seems  to  linger  about  the  tenements  of  the  seventh, 
eleventh,  and  fifteenth  wards. 

Why  Kirke  White  ceased  singing  at  21,  Summerfield 
left  his  pulpit  at  27,  McCheyne  at  29  stepped  from  the 
altar  to  the  throne,  and  Dr.  Hall  left  off  healing  at  34, 
while  the  old  world,  freighted  to  sinking,  with  suffering, 
sweeps  groaning  on  its  course — who  can  tell  ? But 

“ I wage  not  feud  with  Death 

For  changes  wrought  on  form  and  face  ; 

Nor  blame  I Death,  because  he  bear 
The  use  of  virtue  out  of  earth  ; 

I know,  transplanted,  human  worth 
Will  bloom  to  profit  otherwhere.” 

Let  US,  gentle  reader,  while  we  turn  back  the  pages 
of  the  record,  accompany  Dr.  Hall  on  his  rounds 


6; 


among  his  dispensaries  and  the  homes  of  his  patients 
in  New  York.  We  will  let  him  talk  as  we  walk  by  his 
side.  The  doctor  says  : 

“ Not  only  do  we  meet  the  sick  poor  in  the  dispen- 
saries, but  we  go  from  cellar  to  garret,  into  their 
wretched  hovels,  healing,  feeding,  clothing,  preaching 
— doing  all  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 

“ As  in  heathen  countries,  so  among  the  masses  of 
New  York,  the  people  must  be  won  by  disinterested 
kindness.  I believe  this  solves  the  problem  of  reach- 
ing the  masses  in  our  great  city.  Lay  your  lives  along- 
side of  theirs,  and  with  a touch  of  genuine  Christian 
sympathy  and  love  they  can  be  won  for  Jesus.  I'he 
labor  of  love  is  never  lost.  The  Gospel  thus  taught  and 
lived  is  the  power  of  God.  Through  the  medical  work 
we  find  an  easy  entrance  into  the  homes  of  those  who 
would  otherwise  drive  us  away  with  curses,  and  if  we 
did  not  beat  a hasty  retreat  the  boiling  water  treat- 
ment would  be  applied  to  help  us  quicken  our  paces. 
We  deal  personally  with  each  individual,  and  our  visitors 
follow  them  up  in  th'eir  homes.  Not  a week  passes 
without  souls  being  saved.  They  are  all  hand-picked. 
Many  of  them  have  been  rescued  from  the  lowest 
depths  of  sin. 

“ In  searching  for  jewels  our  experiences  many  times 
are  heartrending.  A few  nights  ago  I was  called  into 
a miserable  home.  The  husband  was  a drunkard.  The 
poor  wife  had  to  struggle  hard  to  support  herself  and 
little  ones.  A couple  of  days  before  the  youngest  child, 
through  lack  of  nourishment,  had  been  seized  with  chol- 
era infantum.  The  husband,  after  spending  a great  part 
of  the  week’s  earnings,  had  come  home  drunk  to  abuse 
his  wife  and  children.  I shall  never  forget  the  terrible 
scene  that  met  my  eyes  that  Saturday  night.  On  the 


68 


lounge  lay  the  husband  in  a drunken  stupor,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  room  lay  the  dead  body  of  his  child. 
The  broken-hearted  mother  and  the  rest  of  the  children 
were  huddled  together  in  a corner  of  the  room.” 

Threading  our  way  through  crowded  streets,  we  enter 
the  dispensary.  Dr.  Hall  runs  on  with  his  experiences  : 
“Three  months  ago  a poor,  sad,  dejected  woman 
entered  this  dispensary.  ‘ Many  a night,’  she  said,  ‘my 
husband  has  come  home  crazed  with  rum,  and  has 
driven  the  children  and  me  into  the  street,  where  we 
have  been  obliged  to  stay  until  two  and  three  o’clock  in 
the  morning.  You  see,  doctor,  those  scars  on  my  face  ; 
I got  them  from  blows  given  by  my  husband  when  he 
was  drunk.’ 

“ I treated  the  woman,  then  followed  her  to  her  home, 
and  found  it  a typical  drunkard’s  home.  The  husband, 
after  considerable  urging,  came  to  our  meeting — con- 
viction seized  his  soul,  and  from  that  night  he  became 
a regular  attendant  at  our  services.  For  several  nights 
he  refused  to  yield  to  God,  but  finally  he  came  to  the 
altar  and  found  the  pearl  of  great  price. 

“ He  next  brought  his  wife  and  four  children  to  the 
church,  and  soon  they  were  all  rejoicing  in  a knowledge 
of  sins  forgiven.  They  all  united  on  probation,  and  are 
now  among  our  most  faithful  attendants  and  workers. 

“ I never  enter  that  home  now  but  I receive  a great 
blessing.  A family  altar  has  been  erected,  and  Jesus 
reigns  supreme.  The  husband  now  holds  a responsible 
position,  being  foreman  over  seventy-five  workmen, 
over  whom  he  wields  an  influence  for  good.  ‘ I am  not 
ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  for  it  is  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth.’ 

“ But  let  me  tell  now  of  another  one  of  my  home 
cases.  Not  long  ago  I was  called  to  see  a woman  living 


69 


in  terrible  quarters.  When  my  knock  was  heard  on  the 
door  a boy  of  fifteen  hid  in  an  adjoining  room.  As 
soon  as  I went  in  the  mother  said,  ‘ Come  out,  Willie,  it 
is  only  the  doctor,  he  won’t  touch  you.’  The  poor 
woman  was  a widow  with  two  children.  As  she  was 
unable  to  work,  the  boy  was  trained  to  steal  what  he 
could  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  home. 

“ I told  them  of  a Friend  who  was  rich,  who  supplied 
all  the  needs  of  His  children,  and  that  I knew  He  w'as 
willing  to  take  them  under  His  care.  The  mother  said, 
‘ We  are  too  bad  for  God  to  have  anything  to  do  with 
us.  Nobody  cares  for  us.’  ‘ Did  you  know,’  I said,  ‘it 
was  for  such  as  you  that  Jesus  died.  “ He  came  not  to 
call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance.’  ” I knelt 
and  prayed  that  God  would  show  them  their  sinfulness 
and  His  willingness  to  save  the  vilest  sinners. 

“They  promised  to  come  to  our  meetings.  True  to 
their  promise  they  came.  When  the  invitation  was 
given  they  responded,  knelt  at  the  altar,  and  were  con- 
verted. They  are  now  active  workers  for  Christ,  lead- 
ing consistent  Christian  lives.  The  boy  has  a good 
position  and  is  respected  by  his  employer.  The  home 
which  was  so  dark  and  degraded  is  now  shining  with 
the  presence  of  God.  Willie  said  to  me  a few  days  ago  : 
‘Before  I was  converted  I would  hide  when  I heard  any 
steps  in  the  hallway.  I used  to  be  afraid  to  meet  the 
police  upon  the  street,  but  since  I have  been  converted 
I am  not  afraid  to  meet  or  speak  to  anybody.’ 

“ One  of  the  most  painful  and  alarming  features  of  the 
New  York  problem  is  found  in  big  lads,  almost  young 
men,  for  whom  life  appears  a lost  battle^  compelled  as 
they  are  to  herd  with  thieves  and  beggars.  Among 
these  I have  been  casting  from  my  dispensaries  the  net 
into  the  deep,  landing  within  the  circle  of  homes  and 


70 


industrial  agencies  hundreds  who,  but  for  such  means 
of  escape,  must  have  been  forced  into  lives  of  desper- 
ation which  bear  bitter  fruit  in  crime,  vice,  or  habitual 
pauperism. 

“O  blessed  work  for  Jesus  ! How  wonderfully  He 
pours  His  blessings  upon  us  as  we  endeavor  to  obey  His 
command,  ‘ Preach  the  Gospel,  heal  the  sick.’  Praise 
God  for  the  privilege  of  walking  so  closely  in  the  foot- 
steps of  our  Master.  He  sweetens  the  bitterest  cup  and 
smooths  the  roughest  way.  He  comes  nearest  to  those 
who  most  need  His  help.  How  much  easier  it  is  to  find 
the  entrance  to  the  heart,  when  we  show  people  in  a 
practical  way  that  we  love  them.  I have  had  Jews  and 
Roman  Catholics  take  me  by  the  hand,  with  a grasp  I 
knew  came  from  the  heart,  and  lift  it  to  their  lips  and 
plant  the  kiss  of  gratitude  upon  it.  Is  there  any  other 
way  whereby  we  could  gain  a greater  influence  over 
these  people  ? The  high  wall  of  prejudice  is  soon 
broken  down,  and  their  hearts  are  in  a fit  state  to  re- 
ceive the  Gospel,  and  God  will  watch  the  precious 
seed. 

“ A few  weeks  ago  I was  called  to  see  a child  of 
Roman  Catholic  parentage,  sick  with  pneumonia.  I be- 
came very  much  attached  to  the  children  and  got  the 
consent  of  the  parents  to  let  them  come  to  the 
Sunday  school.  They  soon  began  to  attend  our  serv- 
ices, and  when  the  invitation  was  given  to  take  a 
stand  for  God,  two  of  the  children,  bright  and  intelli- . 
gent  boys  of  twelve  and  fourteen,  came  forward  to  the 
altar.  They  found  the  pearl  of  great  price,  and  are  now 
consistent  Christians.  They  have  been  received  into 
the  Church  with  the  consent  of  their  parents,  who  have 
also  sought  and  found  Christ  in  our  meetings.  There 
have  been  several  bright  conversions  among  the  Roman 


71 


Catholics  since  the  work  was  commenced.  At  the 
Madison  Street  Dispensary  I was  called  to  visit  a man, 
a Roman  Catholic,  who  was  in  the  last  struggles  of  the 
^ king  of  diseases,’  consumption.  I told  him  his  time 
was  short  for  this  world  and  he  had  better  get  ready  for 
heaven.  After  talking  with  him  a short  time  he  ex- 
pressed his  desire  to  become  a Christian.  I pointed  out 
the  way,  and  he  was  soon  rejoicing  in  a knowledge  of 
sins  forgiven.  I visited  him  frequently  during  his  ill- 
ness and  always  found  him  happy  in  his  Saviour’s  love. 
He  remained  steadfast  to  the  end  and  left  a bright  evi- 
dence behind  that  he  had  gone  to  be  with  Jesus.  . . . 
Another  Roman  Catholic  with  a large  family  I am  at- 
tending now  ; he  is  suffering  from  a severe  scald.  I have 
had  several  interesting  talks  with  him  about  his  soul, 
and  the  last  time  I visited  him  he  decided  to  give  his 
heart  to  God,  and  promised  to  erect  the  family  altar 
that  night.  The  children  will  be  gathered  into  the 
Sunday  school  and  the  father  and  mother  into  the 
church.  Praise  God  ! 

“ We  have,  every  Sunday,  Roman  Catholics  and  He- 
brew children  attending  our  Sunday  school,  brought 
there  through  our  dispensary  work.  We  have  a Gospel 
service  with  the  patients  before  they  receive  treatment. 
The  majority  of  our  patients  are  nonchurchgoers,  and 
are  composed  of  all  nationalities  and  creeds.  Jews  and 
Catholics  alike  listen  attentively  to  the  unadulterated 

Gospel,  and  not  without  results A short  time 

ago  a young  Hebrew  came  to  our  dispensary,  suffering 
from  an  injured  hand.  As  I dressed  the  wound  he  re- 
lated the  story  of  his  life.  He  had  worked  hard,  and 
had  succeeded  in  building  up  a lucrative  business,  but 
failure  came.  Discouraged,  penniless,  sick,  he  came  to 
New  York.  I told  him  of  Jesus,  the  great  burden- 


72 


bearer.  Yes,  he  wanted  some  one  upon  whom  to  cast 
his  burden,  but  he  was  a Jew,  and  knew  nothing  of 
Christ  the  Messiah.  I showed  him  the  prophecies 
pointing  to  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  He  at  once  began  to 
read  the  Bible  and  search  for  the  truth.  He  was  soon  led 
to  accept  Christ  as  his  Saviour,  and  to-day  is  a shining 
light  for  Jesus.  He  was  baptized  and  received  into  the 
Church  on  probation.  He  is  now  preaching  Christ  to 
the  Hebrews  with  remarkable  success. 

“ I was  called  to  see  a Jewish  family  upon  Allen 
Street.  I found  the  mother  very  ill  and  entertained  little 
hope  for  her  recovery;  but  God  blessed  the  means 
used,  and  she  has  now  fully  recovered.  The  mission- 
ary had  been  trying  to  get  a hold  upon  the  family  and 
this  proved  the  entering  wedge.  It  was  followed  up, 
and  now  the  parents  are  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  and  the  children  attend  the  Sunday  school. 
Another  family  that  we  have  been  visiting  upon  Ridge 
Street  has  been  converted  and  to-day  are  earnest  work- 
ers for  Christ.  Last  night  a Hebrew  boy,  sixteen  years 
of  age,  came  for  me  to  visit  a Jewish  family.  Although 
he  was  born  in  Jerusalem,  still  he  knew  nothing  of  a 
Saviour’s  love  until  a few  weeks  ago.  He  is  now  re- 
joicing in  a knowledge  of  sins  forgiven  and  is  an  ear- 
nest follower  of  Christ.  I had  prayer  with  the  family  be- 
fore leaving,  and  my  young  Hebrew  friend  also  led  in 
prayer.  We  left  the  sick  man’s  house  together,  and  he 
asked  if  he  might  come  a short  distance  with  me,  as  he 
wished  to  have  a talk  with  me.  He  was  all  aglow  with 
the  love  of  Jesus.  How  our  souls  burned  within  us  as 
we  talked  by  the  way.  It  was  nearly  midnight,  and  I 
feared  his  friend  would  be  uneasy  over  his  absence,  so  I 
urged  his  return.  I shall  never  forget  his  reply.  He 
said,  ‘You  were  born  a Christian,  but  I am  only  three 


73 


weeks  old,  and  I would  like  to  learn  more  about  your 
religion  so  I can  work  for  Jesus.’  O the  joy  that  filled 
my  soul  at  that  moment  ! I felt  I would  gladly  spend 
all  night  with  him,  instructing  him  in  that  knowledge 
for  which  he  was  so  deeply  hungering  and  thirsting. 

. . . Other  Hebrews  are  anxiously  inquiring  the  way. 
You  see  as  Jesus  first  healed  their  diseases,  then  pointed 
the  grateful  recipients  of  this  grace  to  the  remedy  for 
sin,  so  we  follow  the  medicine  with  the  Gospel.  Jew 
and  Gentile  alike  need  and  take  both.  Not  a week 
passes  by  but  souls  are  saved  through  our  dispensaries. 

“ How  encouraging  to  listen  to  the  testimonies,  week 
after  week,  of  those  who  came  for  healing  of  the  body, 
and  there  met  the  Great  Physician,  and  to-day  are  re- 
joicing in  Christ  their  Saviour. 

“ Last  night  at  our  prayer  meeting  a young  man  told 
how  he  had  come  to  the  dispensary  a wreck,  physically 
and  spiritually.  But  to-day  he  is  clothed,  and  is  in  his 
right  mind.  Instead  of  eyes  burning  with  the  fires  of 
drink  they  are  now  beaming  with  the  love  of  God. 

. . . A poor  girl  came  to  our  dispensary  a few 

days  ago.  She  had  wasted  her  days  in  sin  ; she  had 
sunken  to  the  lowest  depths.  We  pointed  her  to  Christ, 
and  now  she  is  rejoicing  in  her  Saviour,  and  has  been 
restored  to  her  loved  ones  again. 

“I  was  called  recently  to  see  a man  who  was  suffer- 
ing intense  pain,  but  his  face  was  aglow  with  the  love 
of  Jesus.  He  said  to  me  : ‘ I am  as  happy  as  the  day 
is  long.  What  a wonderful  change  has  come  to  my  life 
and  home  since  we  gave  our  hearts  to  God  ! When  I . 
was  converted  I owed  seventy  dollars  ; to-day  I don’t 
owe  the  price  of  a loaf  of  bread.  Before  I was  con- 
verted I would  not  have  enough  to  pay  my  way  across 
the  ferry  ; now  I could  go  to  Europe  and  back,  and  take 
10 


74 


a cabin  passage.  Doctor,  I don’t  want  you  to  think  1 
am  a poor  man,’  he  said,  as  he  brought  out  his  bank 
book.  ‘ I have  saved  all  this  and  put  it  in  bank  since 
-May.’  I looked  over  the  account,  and  found  he  had 
one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  deposited.  With  this 
and  Jesus  he  felt  rich. 

‘‘  A few  days  ago  I was  called  to  visit  a family  living 
on  Water  Street,  in  an  attic,  in  a crowded  tenement. 
The  family  numbered  six,  and  were  huddled  together 
in  a room  seven  feet  wide  by  nine  long.  The  furniture 
consisted  of  a bed,  a small  table,  a cooking  stove,  and 
two  chairs.  I had  only  been  there  a short  time  when 
another  was  added  to  the  miserable  home.  The  hus- 
band was  feeling  unwell,  and  was  shortly  after  taken 
down  with  pleurisy.  The  rent  is  to  be  paid,  children 
fed.  and  father  and  mother  sick,  and  no  money-.  Sick- 
ness is  hard  enough  to  endure  when  one  is  provided 
with  the  comforts  of  life,  but  imagine  what  it  must  be 
to  those  destitute  of  those  things  ! I did  all  I could  to 
relieve  their  sufferings  and  to  supply  their  needs. 

“One  afternoon  one  of  their  children,  a bright  little 
girl  of  ten  years  of  age,  came  to  the  dispensary  for 
medicine  for  her  father.  I said,  ‘ Katie,  how  are  you 
getting  on  ? ’ ‘ Not  very  well,  doctor.’  ‘ hat  did  you 
have  for  dinner  to-day?’  ‘We  had  a little  stale  bread 
and  some  tea.’  ‘How  did  you  get  the  bread?’  ‘I 
washed  one  of  mamma’s  sheets  and  took  it  to  a pawn- 
shop, and  that  got  us  a little.’  1 wrote  an  order  for 
bread,  gave  her  milk  tickets  and  medicine  for  her 
father.  The  poor  child  went  home  with  a brighter 
face  than  she  had  when  she  entered  the  dispensary. 
Last  night,  as  I was  about  to  retire,  this  poor  family 
came  up  before  me.  The  work  had  been  heavy  through 


75 


the  day,  and  I was  very  tired  ; but  I felt  I could  not 
rest  until  I saw  them  that  night.  It  was  just  as  I sus- 
pected ; I found  the  poor  mother  looking  over  her 
bunch  of  pawn  tickets,  for  everything  had  been  pawned 
that  was  of  any  value.  I asked  what  was  the  trouble. 
‘ O,  I am  about  crazy,’  she  said.  ‘To-morrow  we  are 
to  be  turned  into  the  streets.  I went  this  afternoon  to 
see  the  landlady  to  beg  a little  time,  but  she  refused  to 
listen  to  me.’  ‘ How  much  do  you  owe.?’  ‘Two  dol- 
lars,’ she  said.  I assured  her  I would  see  the  landlady 
that  night  and  go  security  for  that  amount.  Their  eyes 
filled  with  tears  which  expressed  their  gratitude,  and  I 
realized  it  a good  time  to  tell  them  of  the  great  Burden- 
bearer,  of  the  Friend  wlio  is  always  ready  to  deliver. 
They  manifested  a desire  for  salvation  ; and,  as  we 
knelt  together  in  that  little  room,  they  both  prayed  very 
earnestly  to  God  to  forgive  their  sins  and  help  them  to 
spend  the  rest  of  their  lives  to  His  glory.  Thus  we  win 
souls  for  Jesus. 

“ There  is  another  family  in  Water  Street  that  I am 
deeply  interested  in.  Their  home  was  miserable  in  the 
extreme.  How  different  all  is  now.  Both  husband  and 
wife  are  soundly  converted,  and  are^  bright  lights  for 
Jesus. 

“ Among  our  dispensary  patients  there  came  a poor 
woman  who  was  suffering  from  dyspepsia,  no  doubt 
brought  on  by  improper  nutrition.  Her  husband  had 
been  out  of  work  for  some  time,  and  the  only  support 
of  the  family  was  a boy  fifteen  years  of  age,  who  was 
earning  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a week.  When 
from  this  amount  rent  was  paid  very  little  remained  for 
food  and  clothing.  I asked  her  to  send  one  of  the 


76 


children  to  the  ofihce  in  the  evening,  and  I would  see 
what  could  be  done  to  relieve  them.  The  boy  who  was 
the  support  of  the  family,  and  the  sister  aged  twelve 
years,  came  for  the  promised  help.  I asked  the  boy, 
whose  name  was  Fred,  what  they  had  to  eat  during  the 
day.  He  replied,  ‘This  morning  mother  borrowed  a 
few  pennies  from  a neighbor,  and  bought  a few  rolls 
and  some  stale  bread.’  ‘What  did  you  have  for  supper 
last  night?’  ‘Nothing.’  ‘Have  you  anything  left  for 
breakfast?’  ‘No,  we  had  the  last  to-night.’  Their 
clothes  were  old  and  patched,  but  clean.  The  little 
girl  had  one  toe  out  of  her  shoe;  Fred’s  shoes  were 
almost  falling  to  pieces.  We  gave  them  some  meat  and 
an  order  for  bread,  then  took  them  to  the  shoemaker  to 
whom  they  were  to  bring  their  shoes  to  be  mended.  I 
then  took  them  to  the  dispensary,  and  had  a talk  with 
them  about  Jesus  and  His  love.  They  were  both  anx- 
ious to  become  Christians.  As  we  knelt  together  we 
felt  the  presence  and  power  of  the  Master.  After  lead- 
ing in  prayer  I asked  Fred  to  ask  Jesus  for  just  what  he 
wanted.  He  said  : ‘ Dear  Jesus,  forgive  my  sins,  and 
make  me  Thy  child.  I thank  Thee  for  the  good  things 
Thou  hast  given  me  to-night,  and  for  the  dear  friends 
that  have  been  so  kind  to  us.’  I have  heard  many 
prayers,  but  few  have  touched  me  like  the  prayer  of 
that  little  boy.  We  cannot  be  too  zealous  in  leading 
the  children  to  Jesus.  Those  who  are  doing  the  most 
to  advance  God’s  cause  to-day  were  converted  in  child- 
hood. May  our  motto  ever  be,  ‘ The  children  for 
Christ.’  ” 

d'he  shortest  biography  ever  written  of  Jesus  Christ 
was,  “ He  went  about  doing  good.”  Like  his  Master, 
Dr.  Hall  wrought  daily  to  lighten  men’s  burdens,  ease 


77 


their  pains,  alleviate  their  sufferings,  dry  their  tears,  and 
open  for  them  the  gates  into  a brighter,  better,  larger 
life. 

He  wasted  no  time  philosophizing  or  theorizing;  he 
was  not  full  of  words  on  social,  labor,  or  religious  prob- 
lems. He  was  a man  of  deeds — gentle,  loving,  golden 
deeds — not  vague,  wild,  impracticable  theories.  While 
others  questioned  he  worked. 

“ Will  He  come  first  ? or  comes  His  kingdom  first  ? ” 

So  spake  the  baffled  thinker  to  his  book  ; 

And  then  a little  child,  in  running  by, 

Fell  on  the  cruel  stones  with  frightened  cry. 

The  thinker  turned  impatient  from  his  thought 
To  chide  misfortune  for  its  presence  there  ; 

But,  ere  he  spoke,  a traveler,  all  untaught. 

Unskilled  in  questions,  and  not  long  in  prayer, 

Had  a whole  work  of  kindness  swiftly  done. 

Had  raised  and  comforted  the  little  one. 

Then,  while  the  weary  thinker  pondered  on, 

The  loving  Jesus  had  both  come  and  gone.” 

J.  Sumner  Stone. 


78 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Madison  Street  Mission. 

“ Xor  knowest  thou  what  argument 
Thy  life  to  thy  neighbor’s  creed  hath  lent.” 

Extracts  from  “Historical  Sketch  ” of  the  Madison  Street  Mission,  by 
Rev.  Roger  E.  Thompson — An  open  letter  showing  how 
the  work  continued  to  progress — Reminiscences  by  members 
of  the  Madison  Mission  Corresponding  Circle — Dr.  Henrietta 
Donaldson  Grier,  Presbyterian  Mission,  China — D.  R.  Lewis, 
M.D.,  Whitestone,  N.  Y. — Dr.  Mary  Macallum  Scott,  Ameri- 
can Board  Mission,  Ceylon — Dr.  Orissa  Gould,  Baptist  Mission, 
India— Dr.  Walter  B.  Toy,  Presbyterian  Mission,  Siam — Dr. 
Ina  Ross  Anderson,  China  Inland  Mission,  Shanghai — Dr. 
J.  B.  Busteed,  Methodist  Episcopal  Mission,  Korea — Dr.  A. 
H.  Henderson,  Baptist  Mission,  Bunnah. 

Extr.acts  from  ax  “ Historical  Sketch  ” of  Mad- 
ison Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 

By  Rev.  Roger  E.  Thompson,  its  pastor  in  1892,  1893,  and  1894. 

“The  building  now  occupied  by  the  Madison  Street 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  dedicated  to  the  work 
of  soul-saving  October  17,  1886.  The  property  had 
been  purchased  by  the  New  York  City  Church  Exten- 
sion and  Missionary  Society  in  1885. 

“ It  was  formerly  used  as  a dwelling.  The  Alanson 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  on  Norfolk  Street,  had 
been  given  up,  and  the  members  went,  at  their  choice, 
either  to  Willett  Street  or  to  the  new  church  at  209 
Madison  Street.  The  latter  received  about  fifteen  by 
letter.  Some  of  the  furniture  of  the  old  and  beloved 
Norfolk  Street  was  given  to  the  new  center  ot  Metho- 


79 


dist  life.  Among  these  were  the  pulpit  suit  now  in  use 
and  the  Mason  & Hamlin  organ  which  still  does  good 
service.  M.  F.  Compton  was  the  first  pastor,  and  was 
reappointed  at  the  Conference  of  1887.  The  little 
church  grew,  and  souls  were  added  to  the  heavenly  rec- 
ord. In  the  spring  of  1888  Geo.  N.  Compton  was  ap- 
pointed to  Madison  Street.  His  ministry  was  success- 
ful. One  of  the  evidences  of  material  progress  is  the 
piano  which  was  bought  at  this  time,  and  which  has 
added  much  to  the  enjoyment  and  value  of  the  church 
services,  as  the  organ  has  to  the  mission  and  Sunday 
school  work  in  the  room  below.  Dr.  J.  S.  Stone  was 
the  successor  of  Brother  Compton,  and  his  evangelistic 
vigor,  live  methods,  and  loving  heart  gave  grand  im- 
pulse to  the  work.  But  Dr.  Stone  was  called  to  the 
larger  work  for  which  he  was  fitted,  and  old  Asbury  re- 
ceived, and  is  still  receiving  the  blessing  of  his  labors. 
The  missionary  character  of  our  downtown  work  was 
emphasized  by  Dr.  Stone,  who  put  out  the  now  famil- 
iar transparency,  ‘ Madison  Mission.’  During  his  pas- 
torate Mrs.  Charlotte  Leffler,  formerly  with  the  Church 
of  Sea  and  Land,  Market  Street,  came  as  a mission 
worker,  continuing  till  the  changes  in  the  building  in 
April,  1892. 

“ The  departure  of  Dr.  Stone  was  a misfortune  for 
Madison  Street,  but  the  consecration  and  energy  of  his 
successors  gave  continued  strength  to  the  work.  For 
two  years,  from  April,  1890,  to  April,  1892,  the  name 
of  Stephen  Merritt,  as  acting  pastor,  links  Madison 
Street  with  a long  list  of  places  upon  which  that  con- 
secrated man  has  bestowed  energy  and  money. 

“And  the  name  which  will  always  be  remembered 
with  his  at  Madison  Street  is  dearer  yet  to  the  little 
church  for  which  he  labored.  Brother  Merritt  was 


8o 


with  the  church  hardly  more  than  an  hour  per  month 
— for  the  Lord’s  Supper.  Dr.  W.  J.  Hall,  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  mission,  however,  was  with  the  people 
literally  day  and  night,  in  kindliest  ministration  both  to 
physical  and  spiritual  needs.  His  coming  to  Madison 
Street  opens  up  a new  and  so  important  an  avenue  of 
help  to  Madison  Street  in  every  department,  and  the 
work  was  for  these  two  years  so  completely  dependent  on 
this  help  that  our  attention  will  now  be  directed  to 
the  services  rendered  by  the  International  Medical 
Missionary  Training  Institute.  This  institution  fur- 
nishes such  training  as  its  name  indicates  for  workers 
who  have  the  foreign  field  in  view.  Dr.  Hall  had 
graduated  in  1889,  but  had  been  retained  in  the  home 
work,  in  charge  of  dispensary  and  mission  work  at  Pitt 
and  Eleventh  Streets,  and  at  Asbury  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  Early  in  1890,  having  been  appointed 
superintendent  of  Madison  Mission,  he  gave  up  Pitt 
Street  to  take  the  new  work.  Asbury  and  Eleventh 
Street  work  was  also  soon  given  up.  In  sore  need  of 
helpers,  Dr.  Hall  soon  added  an  undergraduate  helper 
from  the  institute,  J.  Bernard  Busteed.  About  the  same 
time  Dr.  Walter  B.  Toy  was  associated  with  Dr.  Hall  in 
the  dispensary  work.  From  this  beginning  grew  the 
large  helpfulness  of  the  students  of  the  Institute.  When 
Dr.  Hall  sailed  for  Korea  in  the  fall  of  1891,  Dr.  Mary 
Macallum  took  his  place  until  April,  1892.  In  the 
‘ reconstruction  period  ’ following,  the  dispensary  was 
discontinued,  but  was  reopened  in  October,  1892,  J. 
Bernard  Busteed,  M.D.,  physician  in  charge.  When  Dr. 
Busteed  was  appointed  to  Korea  in  March,  1893, 
A.  H.  Henderson,  M.D.,  was  appointed  to  fill  his  place. 

“The  value  of  medical  missions  in  the  work  across 
the  seas  is  not  for  a moment  doubted,  but  we  are 


8i 


strangely  slow  to  perceive  its  true  value  at  home.  Its 
value  as  a charity  is  not  small,  but  its  full  value  is  only 
realized  as  an  adjunct  to  church  work.  The  great 
problem  in  our  work  is  to  reach  effectively  the  un- 
churched multitudes.  We  make  pastoral  calls,  and 
are  plainly  told  we  are  not  wanted.  We  offer  a tract 
or  a Testament,  and  have  it  pushed  back  in  our  faces. 
We  send  our  large-hearted  deaconesses  to  sympathize 
and  help,  and  even  their  ministrations  seem  almost  un- 
welcome. But  when  the  sixteen-year-old  daughter  of 
the  home  sickens  with  pneumonia,  the  attending  physi- 
cian of  our  dispensary  possesses  the  practical  key  to 
the  home  which  has  repelled  all  other  advances.  His 
skill  opens  the  way  for  the  visitor,  the  nurse-deaconess, 
or  the  pastor,  to  second  the  ministrations  to  the  body 
with  words  of  healing  for  the  soul.  This  work  our  dis- 
pensary is  doing,  but  we  are  unable  to  enter  effectively 
the  splendid  openings  which  it  offers  us.  We  need  a 
visitor,  or  several  of  them,  who  shall  follow  up  faith- 
fully the  initial  advantage. 

“We  insert  here  a partial  list,  as  complete  as  our 
data  will  furnish,  of  the  workers  from  the  Institute  who 
helped  to  hold  Madison  Street  for  God,  when  the  hour 
was  dark  and  defeat  seemed  almost  inevitable.  We  give 
denominational  affiliation  to  thus  commend  still  more 
strongly  their  unselfish  devotion  to  the  hard,  not  infre- 
quently discouraging  work  at  Madison  Street.  And 
this  work  in  dispensary,  church,  and  Sunday  school, 
was  performed  largely,  be  it  remembered,  in  connection 
with  the  duties  of  a thorough  medical  course  for  the 
degree  of  M.D.  Madison  Street  only  gives  honor  to 
whom  honor  is  due  when  she  recognized  most  grate- 
fully the  whole-hearted  service  of  her  student-helpers. 
The  following  is  a partial  list  : 

II 


82 


“ W.  J.  Hall,  M.D.,  one  year  and  one  half  of 
service  as  superintendent  of  the  mission,  physician  in 
charge  of  the  dispensary,  and  supply  for  the  pulpit. 
Now  (since  September,  1891)  in  Korea. 

“ Dr.  J.  Bernard  Busteed,  M.D.,  served  as  Dr.  Hall’s 
assistant  in  the  work  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school,  and,  after  Dr.  Hall’s  departure  for  Korea,  as 
superintendent  of  the  work  just  when  the  need  was 
greatest.  Lacking  a resident  pastor,  feeling  sorely  the 
loss  of  so  true  a friend  and  faithful  a worker  as  Dr.  Hall, 
and  awaiting  in  suspense  for  several  months  the  new 
pastor,  who  was  completing  his  studies,  it  was  not 
strange  that  the  little  church  depended  for  its  very  life 
upon  the  persistent  labors  of  Dr.  Busteed  and  his  help- 
ers. When  the  dispensary  was  opened  in  October, 
1892,  Dr.  Busteed  added  this  to  the  duties  of  a super- 
intendent of  Sunday  school,  filling  admirably  both  re- 
sponsibilities. Dr.  Busteed  will  join  Dr.  Hall  in  Korea 
in  a few  weeks. 

“ Dr.  Walter  B.  Toy  was  for  about  six  months  asso- 
ciated with  Dr.  Hall  in  charge  of  the  dispensary.  He 
is  now  in  Petchaburi,  Siam. 

“ Dr.  Mary  E.  Macallum  was  also  in  charge  of  the 
dispensary,  as  well  as  a beloved  teacher  in  the  Sunday 
school.  Dr.  Macallum  is  now  Mrs.  Thomas  B.  Scott, 
and  her  address  is  Ceylon.  Mr.  Grier  was  another  val- 
ued worker,  now  in  China. 

“ Mr.  Thomas  Coote,  an  early  worker  at  Madison 
Street,  is  now  in  Africa. 

“ Dr.  D.  R.  Lewis,  one  of  our  Sunday  school  workers, 
expects  to  go  to  Burmah. 

“ Dr.  Orissa  W.  Gould,  now  taking  post-graduate 
hospital  work  in  Boston,  is  already  under  appointment 
to  India. 


83 


“ Dr.  Ross  was  also  one  of  the  earlier  helpers,  and  is 
now  under  appointment  to  China.  Alexander  McDon- 
ald is  another  worker  whose  name  cannot  be  forgotten. 
He  is  now  in  Africa. 

“ Dr.  Henrietta  B Donaldson,  a valued  worker  in 
our  Sunday  school  and  mission  work,  is  now  under 
appointment  to  China,  and  expects  to  sail  in  September 
next. 

“ Dr.  A.  H.  Henderson,  now  physician  in  charge  of 
our  dispensary,  has  been  for  long  time  the  popular  and 
most  helpful  teacher  of  our  Bible  class.  Dr  Hender- 
son expects  to  go  to  Burmah  after  some  further  post- 
graduate work.  His  brother,  J.  E.  Henderson,  is  still 
in  the  Institute  and  is  serving  most  acceptably  as  our 
Sunday  school  superintendent,  taking  the  place  of  Dr. 
Busteed. 

“Miss  Emma  H.  Hodge  and  Mr.  Ernest  D.  Vande- 
bergh  are  earnest  workers  in  Sunday  school  and  Sun- 
day evening  work.  They  are  undergraduates  at  the 
Institute. 

“Drew  Theological  Seminary  has  sent  us  very  valu- 
able help,  and  the  names  of  Noble  (now  Professor  W. 
A.  Noble,  of  Pai  Chai  College,  Korea)  and  W.  J. 
Hayes  (deceased).  There  are  still  others  who  have 
rendered  really  valuable  service  in  dispensary  and  gen- 
eral mission  work,  whose  names  we  do  not  know. 

“ It  was  under  the  care  of  the  students  that  the  never- 
to-be-forgotten  Canadian  trip  took  place  in  the  summer 
of  1891.  Dr.  Hall,  with  eight^helpers,  took  out  a ‘ Fresh- 
Air  Party  ’ of  one  hundred  and  forty  children  to  Canada 
for  over  two  weeks  of  most  delightful  outing.” 


84 

An  Open  Letter. 

'‘'‘January  25,  1894. 

“ Dear  Friends  in  the  Foreign  Field:  It  is  a very 
pleasant  task  to  convey  to  you  very  hearty  greetings 
from  old  Madison  Street.  And  please,  if  possible,  for- 
get that  your  individual  copy  is  taken  from  the  mimeo- 
graph, and  realize  that  as  I write  this  first  copy  I am 
thinking  of  you  who  have  helped  us  and  have  since 
gone  out  into  the  broader  work  in  which  you  are  now 
engaged.  We  think  of  you  often,  and  when  we  talk 
with  our  Father,  both  in  private  and  in  public,  you  and 
your  work  are  often  remembered.  Madison  Street  can- 
not easily  forget  the  earnest,  warm-hearted  service  of 
her  student-helpers.  And  what  a band  ! Some  are  in 
glorious  work  on  this  side,  some  few  already  in  glory 
over  yonder  ; some  across  the  seas,  and  some  still  bless- 
edly adding  to  the  light  and  warmth  which  make  people 
about  us  feel  that  God  is  still  at  ^ladison  Street. 

“ We  cannot  tell  you  how  glad  we  always  are  to  hear 
from  you  across  the  seas.  Whether  our  news  is  from 
China,  Korea,  Ceylon,  Siam,  or  Burmah  our  hearts  are 
gladdened,  and  we  feel  ourselves  linked  to  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth,  as  we  almost  hear  you  speak, 
and  as  we  pray  for  you.  Some  of  you  who  were  here 
after  our  earliest  helpers  went  from  Madison  Street 
know  how  eagerly  all  our  people  listen  to  every  word 
from  the  familiar  hand.  We  want  to  hear  often  of  your 
work  and  of  you.  While  we  pray  we  are  expecting  suc- 
cess for  you.  We  are  expecting  that  you  will  have 
health  and  strength  sufficient.  To  hear  the  facts  once 
in  a while  will  increase  our  faith. 

“ And  I doubt  not  that  a somewhat  similar  interest 
attaches  to  any  items  concerning  our  work  which  reach 
you.  I am  sorry  that  they  are  so  few  and  meager.  I 


85 

must  plead  guilty  of  being  too  busy  to  chat  with  my 
friends  as  often  as  I wish. 

“ With  the  new  year  God  is  blessing  us  with  his  pres- 
ence and  power,  and  the  work  seems  to  prosper  better 
than  at  any  time  in  my  service  here — since  July  i,  1892. 
The  average  evening  attendance  for  three  weeks  just 
past  has  been  thirty-five.  The  interest  is  good.  At 
class  meeting  last  Tuesday  evening  there  were  thirty- 
five  present,  and  seven  came  forward  for  prayers — four 
women  and  three  men.  Our  Epworth  League  has 
twenty-five  members.  Its  prayer  meeting  on  Monday 
nights  is  good.  I inclose  a topic  card  which  has  a list 
of  our  officers  for  this  half  year.  Our  Wednesday  even- 
ing prayer  meeting  is  always  strong.  Last  night  there 
were  thirty-two  present  and  six  requests  for  prayer. 
On  Thursday  nights  I have  a Bible  study  class  in  the 
life  of  Jesus.  The  class  is  small,  but  there  is  more 
real,  delightful  study  of  the  old  Book  than  I ever  saw 
in  a church  of  this  size.  Our  Friday  evening  temper- 
ance meeting  is  well  attended,  and  we  are  proclaiming 
Gospel  temperance  as  the  only  way  to  victory.  We 
have  now  no  English  service  on  Saturday.  Assistant 
Pastor  Gaebelein,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  new  and  suc- 
cessful work  for  the  Hebrews  at  Allen  Memorial 
Church,  holds  meetings  in  our  upper  room  on  Wednes- 
days and  Saturdays.  He  speaks  the  Hebrew-German 
jargon,  and  has  written  several  tracts,  hymns,  sermons, 
etc.,  in  the  same  dialect.  He  originated  here  the  first 
Hebrew-Christian  paper  printed  in  the  jargon.  The 
little  sheet.  The  Hope  of  Israel^  is  widely  spread  and 
read.  The  converts  from  this  work  are  many.*  On  the 


* 1896.  The  work  at  209  Madison  Street  is  now  altogether  for  Hebrews, 
with  Rev.  Arno  C.  Gaebelein  superintendent,  and  Dr.  Zeckhausen,  himself  a 
converted  Jew,  in  charge  of  the  dispensary. 


86 


afternoons  of  Monday,  Wednesday,  and  Friday,  Dr.  J. 
M.  Weir  has  a clinic  for  treatment  of  diseases  of  women 
and  children,  and  on  the  alternate  days  Dr.  Homer 
Jones,  resident  physician  at  91  Madison  Street,  has  his 
dispensary  hour.  Our  Penny  Provident  Savings  Fund, 
open  every  day,  has  nearly  1,100  depositors  enrolled. 
Our  Sunday  school  is  in  better  condition  since  the  hol- 
idays than  at  the  same  time  last  year.  Attendance,  Janu- 
ary 14,  loo  ; January  21,  80.  We  have  twelve  teach- 
ers. Mr.  James  H.  Welch,  of  Roselle,  N.J.,  is  our  act- 
ing superintendent,  and  is  a great  help  to  us.  Before 
Christmas,  this  season,  we  announced  that  we  should  do 
most  of  our  giving  to  the  poor,  and  neither  then  nor  at 
Christmas  time  was  any  dissatisfaction  expressed  with 
the  plan.  We  had  an  orange  and  a bag  of  sweets  for 
each  of  the  180  who  were  there,  but  the  rest  of  our 
$110  of  Christmas  fund  went  to  fifteen  of  our  poor 
families.  We  gave  no  cash,  but  to  each  family  one 
half  ton  of  coal,  thirty-five  loaves  of  bread,  one  dollar’s 
worth  of  meat  (all  these  in  the  shape  of  tickets),  and  a 
peck  of  beans,  same  of  potatoes,  one  pound  of  tea,  two 
of  coffee,  three  and  one  half  of  sugar,  six  bars  of  good 
soap,  and  pepper  and  salt.  With  the  tickets  we  put  a 
note  of  greeting  like  the  inclosed.  The  distribution 
was  a pleasure.  Our  girls’  meeting  at  7 p.  m.  on  Sunday 
is  profitable.  The  Gospel  service  at  7:30  p.  m.,  Sunday, 
is  the  best  attended  of  all  our  meetings,  save  the  meet- 
ing for  homeless  men.  Last  Sunday  night  IMr.  Town- 
send and  Dr.  San  C.  Po,  of  the  Institute,  had  charge  of 
the  meeting,  and  the  doctor’s  talk  upon  the  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  the  Christian  in  Burmah,  his  native  land, 
was  very  interesting  and  gave  great  weight  to  his 
exhortation.  The  Sunday  afternoon  service  for  men 
only,  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Bird,  of  Upper  Mont- 


87 


clair,  N.  J.,  is  overcrowded.  We  accommodate  300 
from  the  crowd  that  applies,  and  give  to  each  a bun  or 
Dutch  biscuit,  a corned-beef  sandwich,  and  two  cups  of 
coffee.  Having  used  this  bait  to  get  men  here,  we  give 
them  the  Gospel.  We  are  thus  brought  in  touch  with 
the  wretchedest  crowd  New  York  can  furnish.  We  can 
keep  in  touch  with  them  during  the  week  through  our 
free  reading  room,  where  we  have  from  one  to  two  hun- 
dred every  day  of  our  great  unemployed  army.  When 
a man  really  makes  an  effort  to  help  himself,  we  give 
him  all  the  chance  we  can  with  tickets  for  work,  lodg- 
ings, meals,  bath — even  for  a shave — and  with  gifts  of 
clothing.  We  also  have  large  opportunity  for  dispens- 
ing relief  to  poor  families  whom  we  help  with  orders  for 
groceries,  coal,  bread,  and  gifts  of  clothing.  Since 
July  I,  1892,  our  friends  have  sent  us  over  3,700  articles 
of  clothing  and  over  $1,085  cash  for  this  relief  work. 
This  hard  winter  is  offering  us  great  opportunity  for 
showing  people  their  real  need  and  their  great  enemy. 
Sin  is  the  great  curse,  but  in  our  work  its  stronghold  is 
the  saloon. 

“ If  I were  to  name  the  brethren  and  sisters  who  de- 
sire to  be  personally  remembered  to  you,  I should 
need  more  space.  Sister  Miller  speaks  oftenest,  I think, 
of  you  all,  but  we  all  earnestly  desire  and  pray  for  your 
success.  Lena  Keller,  Hattie  Dean,  Annie  Dietz,  Jennie 
Veitch,  Mrs.  Morgan,  Mrs.  Montgomery,  Mrs.  Pollard, 
and  Mrs.  Force  are  a few  of  our  people  whom  you  knew 
and  who  think  of  you. 

“And  now  may  God’s  blessing  rest  upon  you  in  all 
your  efforts.  Num.  vi,  24-26.  ^Most  cordially, 

“ Roger  E.  Thompson.” 


88 


The  following  letter  of  Dr.  Henderson  explains  the 
origin  and  object  of  the  M.  C.  C.  Each  member  of 
the  circle  has  been  asked  to  contribute  some  personal 
reminiscences  of  Dr.  Hall  for  this  chapter,  but  as  all  did 
not  respond,  some  letters  to  the  circle  have  been  in- 
serted in  place  of  the  lacking  contributions. 

“ ii8  East  45th  Street,  New  York  City, 

“ April  19,  1895. 

'"^Madison  Mission  Corresponding  Circle. 

“Fellow-sufferers:  Seeing  that  most  of  us  are 
either  on  the  field  already  or  expect  soon  to  start  we 
who  are  still  here  have  been  perfecting  the  plan  first  sug- 
gested by  i\Ir.  Noble  to  form  a corresponding  circle  in- 
cluding our  Madison  band  of  workers,  namely,  Drs.  Hall, 
Toy,  Busteed,  Ross,  ]\Iacallum,  Donaldson,  Lewis,  Hen- 
derson, Mr.  Coote,  and  Professor  Noble.  All  of  these 
have  agreed  to  join  except  Dr.  Toy  and  Mr.  Coote,  whom 
we  have  not  written  to  yet,  so  that  there  is  no  need 
to  say  anything  about  the  advantages.  The  plan  as 
it  stands  is  this.  Miss  Davies  has  consented  to  be  our 
secretary.  We  each  agree  to  write  two  letters  a year, 
posting  to  her.  She  agrees  to  copy  them  on  the 
mimeograph  and  send  a copy  to  each.  To  meet  the 
first  expenses  we  subscribe  three  dollars  each  the  first 
year,  and  one  dollar  each  per  annum  afterward.  In 
this  way  we  will  receive  eighteen  letters  each  year,  and 
be  enabled  to  keep  in  close  touch  with  one  another,  so 
continuing  the  pleasure  and  blessing  which  we  so 
much  enjoyed  when  together  we  worked  at  Madison 
Street.  Drs.  Busteed,  Macallum,  and  Miss  Donaldson 
have  already  paid  in  their  three  dollars.  Dr.  Hall 
conveniently  left  a fund  here  from  which  we  have 
appropriated  his  amount,  so  with  Dr.  Lewis’s  and  mine 


12 


90 


we  have  enough  to  start,  but  must  ask  the  rest  to  live  on 
pounded  corn  and  dog  soup  {a  la  Dr.  Hall)  until  you 
can  forward  your  subscriptions,  which  for  your  sakes 
and  ours  we  hope  will  not  be  long. 

“ I have  asked  Miss  Davies  each  year  to  send  us  an 
account  of  how  we  stand  with  regard  to  money,  and 
to  take  her  share  in  the  writing,  that  we  may  be  kept 
posted  in  the  Institute  News. 

“ I append  a table  which  we  have  drawn  up  that  our 
letters  may  be  regularly  distributed  evenly  through  the 
year.  I would  suggest  that  we  paste  it  in  the  front  of  our 
Bibles  or  some  other  place  where  it  will  be  often  seen 
(say  the  quinine  bottle  for  those  in  Africa),  for  unless 
we  conscientiously  carry  out  our  part  a great  deal  of 
the  pleasure  and  profit  will  be  lost.  Do  let  me  urge 
each  to  really  make  an  effort  to  fulfill  his  obligation  to 
the  others,  for  we  have  already  had  experience  of  how 
much  we  may  expect  from  promises  to  write  soon. 
(Don’t  blush,  Noble.)  Each  is  expected  to  post  his  let- 
ters that  they  may  reach  Miss  Davies  as  nearly  as 
possible  at  the  time  stated  on  the  table  which  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

‘^Dr.  Busteed,  first  part  January  and  June. 

Mr.  Coote,  latter  part  January  and  June. 

Dr.  Donaldson,  first  part  February  and  July. 

Dr.  Hall,  latter  part  February  and  July. 

Dr.  Henderson,  first  part  March  and  August. 

Dr.  Lewis,  latter  part  March  and  August. 

Dr.  Mrs.  Scott,  first  part  April  and  October. 

Professor  Noble,  latter  part  April  and  October. 

Dr.  Ross,  first  part  May  and  November. 

Dr.  Toy,  latter  part  May  and  December. 

“ Please  address  letters  to  Miss  Davies  here.  On  be- 
half of  the  circle,  Yours, 

“A.  H.  Henderson.” 


91 


“ Presbyterian  Mission,  Chining  Chow,  China. 

“As  I sit  in  my  Chinese  home,  so  far,  far  away  from 
the  busy,  stirring  city  where  I first  met  Dr.  Hall,  a 
great  crowd  of  happy,  sacred,  helpful  memories  come 
rushing  as  a flood  before  my  mind,  and  involuntarily 
the  pen  drops  and  the  question,  ‘ Which  shall  I tell 
about  ? ’ is  asked. 

“ It  was  in  1890  in  a little  downtown  mission  in  New 
York  that  we  became  acquainted.  For  weeks  I had 
been  hearing  accounts  of  Dr.  Hall’s  consecration,  zeal, 
and  influence  given  by  my  friends  who  were  already  at 
work  with  him,  and  naturally  was  anxious  to  see  and 
hear  for  myself. 

“ I think  I must  have  formed  an  imaginary  picture  of 
the  man  they  so  often  spoke  about.  Surely  it  was  so, 
else  why  should  a little  feeling  of  disappointment  have 
been  mine,  when  a tall,  thin  man,  standing  by  a rusty 
stove,  surrounded  by  a number  of  dirty  urchins,  was 
pointed  out  as  ‘Our  Dr.  Hall’  But  the  feeling  of 
disappointment  only  lasted  a moment,  for  he  turned 
toward  our  group  one  of  the  kindliest  of  faces,  and 
coming  over  to  where  we  stood  gave  us  each  a hearty 
handshake,  and  in  that  way  of  his,  which  no  one  could 
ever  forget,  because  he  felt  the  words  to  be  truly  sin- 
cere, said,  ‘The  Lord  bless  you.’  From  that  mo- 
ment began  Dr.  Hall’s  influence  over  another  life. 
Some  one  has  said,  ‘ The  nearer  a life  is  fashioned  after 
the  Great  Pattern  the  more  beautiful  and  wonderful  it 
is.’  The  Master  was  Dr.  Hall’s  pattern  as  well  as  his 
most  intimate  friend  ; therefore  the  likeness. 

“ How  often  in  the  ‘ experience  meetings  ’ we  Madi- 
son workers  attended  have  we  listened  to  his  testi- 
mony ringing  through  the  little  chapel. 


92 


“ Trying  to  walk  in  the  steps  of  the  Saviour. 

Trying  to  follow  our  Saviour  and  King  ; 

Shaping  our  lives  by  His  blessed  example. 

Happy,  how  happy,  the  songs  that  we  bring. 

“ Walking  in  footsteps  of  gentle  forbearance, 

Footsteps  of  faithfulness,  mercy,  and  love. 

Looking  to  Him  for  the  grace  freely  promised. 

Happy,  how  happy  our  journey  above. 

“And  he  was  like  the  Master  in  many  ways.  How  did 
he  become  so  ? Let  me  relate  as  nearly  as  I can  recall 
it,  an  incident  in  his  life  and  a conversation  which  fol- 
lowed by  way  of  answer.  In  a tenement  house  in  New 
York  one  member  of  a little  family  lay  dying.  Dr.  Hall 
was  needed  in  that  home  and  he  was  there.  A priest  of 
the  Roman  Church  was  also  there,  striving  in  his  way 
to  prepare  the  soul  for  its  entrance  into  the  unseen 
universe.  Protestant  and  Catholic  stood  side  by  side 
in  this  home  of  sorrow.  What  happened  ? After  a 
short  conversation  doctor  and  priest  knelt  at  the  bed- 
side, and  Dr.  Hall  prayed  to  a common  Father  and 
Saviour.  The  friend  who  related  the  circumstance  ex- 
claimed as  he  finished,  ‘No  one  but  Dr.  Hall  could 
have  done  that  down  here  in  this  neighborhood.’  ‘ Why  ’ 
‘Well,  he  has  a power  within  him  that  the  rest  of  us 
have  not.  I’m  just  beginning  to  realize  what  that  will 
do.  You  know  I’ve  been  rooming  with  him  lately,  and 
often  when  he  thinks  me  asleep,  he  quietly  gets  up  and 
spends  the  night  in  prayer.’  O,  that  was  the  secret  ! 
The  circuit  between  heaven  and  earth  was  never 
broken.  Then  is  it  any  wonder  his  influence  for  the 
Master  was  great  ; any  wonder  he  was  called  a ‘Jesus 
man;  ’ any  wonder  that  doors  ready  to  be  slammed  in 
the  faces  of  other  workers  were  stayed  and  a welcome 
given  because  Dr.  Hall’s  name  was  used  as  a pass- 
port ? Occasionally  we  workers  would  smile  at  the  oft- 


93 


repeated  phrase,  ‘ Shall  we  have  a word  of  prayer,’ 
but  none  of  us  doubted  the  sincerity  of  every  petition 
sent  heavenward.  Many  a time  have  I felt  that  the 
Master  was  truly  present  and  that  Dr.  Hall  was  speak- 
ing with  Him  as  friend  to  friend.  I believe  that  our 
little  missionary  circle,  scattered  over  the  world  as  it 
is,  would  give  and  have  given  many  times  testimonies 
similar  to  that  spoken  of  Enoch — he  walked  with  God. 

“ It  was  the  close  walking  with  the  Master  and  the 
peace  and  gladness  which  comes  to  those  who  strive  to 
‘ keep  step  with  His  dear  feet  ’ that  most  influenced  me. 

“ There  were  other  very  noticeable  characteristics 
such  as  self-denial,  gentleness  and  his  great  love  for 
children  ; but  were  these  not  the  fruit  of  the  other? 

“ The  death  of  our  friend,  though  so  sad,  seemed  to 
me  to  be  a very  fitting  end — for  as  the  Master  lived 
and  died  for  others,  so  did  His  servant  do.  And  be- 
cause he  followed  Him  who  said,  ‘ The  servant  is  not 
greater  than  his  lord;  neither  he  that  is  sent  greater 
than  he  that  sent  him,’  has  he  not  long  ere  this  heard 
the  blessed  words,  ‘ Happy  are  ye  because  ye  did  it  ?’ 

“ Henrietta  B.  Donaldson,  M.  D.” 

“ Breezehurst  Terrace,  Whitestone,  N.  Y., 

''July  9,  1897. 

“ The  Madison  Street  Mission,  that  spot  around 
which  cluster  some  of  the  tenderest  memories  of  the 
students  of  the  International  Medical  Missionary  So- 
ciety, constituted  a field  peculiarly  adapted  to  Dr.  Hall’s 
unique  and  varied  talents.  It  was  situated  in  the 
center  of  a typical  east  side  section,  whose  inhabitants 
represented  many  nationalities,  though  the  Hebrew 
race  was  probably  the  predominant  one.  There  were 
native  New  Yorkers,  descendants  of  the  old  settlers, 


94 


whose  lives  had  been  spent  in  continuous  contact  with 
the  influences  of  the  Christian  religion ; there  were  recent 
emigrants  from  some  European  land,  permeated  with 
the  instincts  and  ideals  and  prejudices  of  their  people  ; 
there  were  the  wanderers,  the  great  army  of  the  unem- 
ployed, whose  home  is  often  in  some  hallway,  or  on  the 
settees  in  the  parks,  or,  when  fortune  smiles  on  them, 
in  one  of  the  numerous  Bowery  lodging  houses.  These 
are  the  modern  Ishmaelites  ; their  hand  is  against  every 
man,  and  too  often,  alas!  every  man’s  hand  is  against 
them.  And  finally  there  was  that  ancient  nation  whose 
is  the  adoption,  and  the  glory,  and  the  covenants,  and 
the  giving  of  the  law,  and  the  service  of  God,  and  the 
promises;  whose  are  the  fathers,  and  of  whom  is  Christ 
as  concerning  the  flesh,  who  is  over  all,  God  blessed  for- 
ever. Here  the  mission  stood  as  the  shadow  of  a great 
rock  in  a weary  land,  through  its  words  and  works  the 
light  of  the  glorious  Gospel  was  shed  forth  in  an  in- 
tensely practical  way  into  the  thick  darkness  around. 
To  it  converged  the  currents  of  want  and  misery. 
Here  Dr.  Hall  came  with  a mind  disciplined  and  a heart 
all  aflame  with  purpose  to  serve  his  Master.  Here  he 
found  a congenial  field,  and  one  whose  duties  and  re- 
sponsibilities were  commensurate  with  his  abilities. 

“ In  all  its  departments — the  regular  preaching 
service,  the  Sunday  school,  the  special  meetings,  he  was 
an  organizer  and  leader.  His  transparent  godliness 
was  impressive,  while  his  enthusiasm  was  positively  con- 
tagious. In  the  healing  of  the  sick  he  displayed  a rare 
and  beautiful  character,  in  which  meekness  and  strength 
were  harmoniously  blended  and  proportioned  ; kind, 
yet  shrewd  and  practical,  foreseeing  and  sagacious. 

“ As  a preacher  we  well  remember  his  clear  presen- 
tations of  the  truth.  The  words  of  his  mouth,  being  the 


95 


fruit  of  the  meditation  of  his  heart,  came  freighted  and 
vitalized  with  divine  power  to  the  consciences  of  the 
people.  The  outstanding  characteristics  of  his  public 
discourses — yea,  indeed,  of  all  his  discourses,  public 
and  private — were  > his  unmistakable  sincerity  and 
positive  convictions.  Here,  indeed,  was  one  who  spoke 
as  having  authority.  He  believed  ; therefore  he  had 
spoken.  These  qualities  gave  his  sermons  and  ad- 
dresses a wonderful  impressiveness  and  solemnity.  He 
used  plain  English,  and  did  not  allow  his  strength  and 
directness  to  be  shorn  by  yielding  to  the  seductions  of 
garnishing  them  with  fancy  flights  of  rhetoric.  He 
was  too  much  in  earnest.  The  King’s  business  required 
haste.  He  had  felt  the  power  of  an  endless  life  in  his 
own  experience,  and  he  must  needs  press  the  need  and 
blessedness  of  that  life  on  others. 

“ He  was  not  exempt  from  dark  days  and  difficulties, 
problems  and  obstacles.  There  was  a vast  number  of 
small  details  that  did  not  appear  to  the  casual  observer, 
all  requiring  his  oversight  and  taxing  his  energies.  The 
complex  character  of  the  work  at  Madison  would  have 
overwhelmed  him  had  he  not  had  the  refuge  of  a strong, 
abiding  trust.  Like  the  great  Hebrew  lawgiver,  his 
faith  received  its  reward.  ‘ He  endured  as  seeing  Him 
wdio  is  invisible.’  This  trust  of  his  was  not  cold,  labored, 
and  formal,  but  it  was  rather  the  artless  confidence  of  a 
child  in  its  father.  There  was  a delightful  naturalness 
and  spontaneity  about  it — it  was  a part  of  him.  ‘He 
counted  him  faithful  who  had  promised,’  and  God 
abundantly  demonstrated  the  truth  of  His  promise  in 
his  case,  ‘ He  that  honoreth  Me,  him  will  I honor.’ 

“He  was  characterized  by  a cheerful,  uplifting 
optimism  ; not  that  visionary,  impractical  optimism 
which  springs  from  ignoring  the  unchanging  facts  of 


96 


life,  but  rather  one  founded  upon  his  experimental 
knowledge  of  the  power  and  love  of  God.  He  could 
give  a reason  for  the  hope  that  was  in  him.  It  ex- 
pressed itself,  not  in  a short-lived,  emotional  joy,  but 
rather  in  a calm  and  settled  peace  that  gave  steadiness, 
poise,  and  power  to  his  life.  He  exerted  a deep  and 
abiding  influence  on  his  fellow-students  at,the  Medical 
Missionary  Institute.  Indeed,  it  can  be  safely  said  that 
in  this  respect  he  was  unsurpassed  and  but  rarely 
equaled.  Strong,  transparent,  genuine — ^there  was  no 
escaping  his  power.  Gentle,  patient,  unassuming,  and 
at  last  giving  his  life  as  a sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  his 
Master,  he  has  left  a rich  legacy  to  those  who  knew 
him  and  loved  him — a legacy  not  of  perishing  riches, 
but  of  that  enduring  wealth,  the  example  and  inspi- 
ration of  a noble  life.  D.  R.  Lewis,  M.D.” 

‘‘American  Board  Mission,  Manippay,  Jaffna, 

“ Ceylon,  Sepieinber  7. 

“My  Very  Dear  Friends  : I quite  expect  my  letter 
to  be  a little  late,  a la  Miss  (I  beg  her  pardon.  Doctor) 
Donaldson.  I have  begun  several  letters,  and  they 
have  all  gone  the  way  of  the  wastebasket.  But 
Dr.  Hall’s  letter  came  last  week,  and  to-day  Drs. 
Donaldson  and  Henderson,  so  now  I feel  quite  in 
the  humor.  How  many  changes  have  come  already 
in  our  little  circle  ! Mr.  Coote  gone  home  ; he  always 
made  me  think  of  that  verse,  ‘Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,’  and  truly  now  he  does  see  God.  Dr.  Hender- 
son has  joined  the  ranks  of  ‘wedded  bliss.’  Accept  my  v 
heartiest  congratulations.  If  I only  knew  when  you 
were  to  pass  by  Colombo  I might  have  gone  down  to 
spend  the  day  with  you,  as  the  vessels  usually  stop  there 
about  twenty-four  hours. 


97 


“And  so  Miss  Donaldson  is  away  off  to  China  by  this 
time  ! Poor  Africa!  so  many  of  us  were  going  there, 
and  now  we  have  not  a single  representative  there. 
How  strange  that  none  of  us  should  have  gone  where 
we  had  planned ! 

“ We  reached  Ceylon  May  24,  but  did  not  reach  our 
station  till  June  13.  We  began  housekeeping  on  my 
birthday  in  a few  packing  cases.  It  reminds  me  of 
Madison  life,  but  in  time  things  began  to  look  a little 
better,  and  now  we  feel  quite  comfortable.  We  have  a 
very  pleasant  house,  and  are  very  busy  and  happy  in  it. 
We  were  forced  to  begin  medical  work  almost  at  once, 
though  we  would  have  preferred  it  if  we  could  have 
spent  a few  months  on  the  language  ; but  we  just  have 
to  pick  that  up  as  best  we  can.  It’s  a great  scheme 
both  being  doctors.  I have  two  rooms  for  seeing  my 
patients,  and  my  husband  has  two  more  for  seeing  his, 
and  as  we  have  our  work  at  the  same  time,  we  can  con- 
sult as  often  as  we  wish,  which  is  possibly  several  times 
a day.  We  have  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty  patients  a day,  but  we  have  shut  the  dispensary 
three  days  a week,  and  have  only  three  days  for  regular 
work — one  day  for  operating,  and  I have  Wednesday 
for  private  patients.  The  people  are  pretty  poor,  and 
live  in  miserable  little  huts,  with  precious  few  of  even 
the  comforts  of  life.  The  other  day  I was  called  to  a 
Moor  family  to  see  a woman  who  was  very  ill.  There 
are  about  three  thousand  families  of  these  Moham- 
medan people  in  Jaffna  town,  and  as  yet  no  missionary 
has  been  able  to  get  into  the  houses.  They  would  far 
rather  let  their  wives  and  daughters  die  than  call  in  an 
English  gentleman  to  see  them ; but  they  willingly 
called  me.  And  how  my  heart  ached  for  these  poor, 
pale-faced,  shut-in  creatures!  They  are  never  allowed 
13 


98 


outside  their  own  yards,  never  see  any  men  but  their 
own  fathers  or  husbands,  or  any  other  woman  but  poor 
creatures  like  themselves.  They  can  never  go  to  the 
temple,  for  religion  is  for  the  men,  not  for  them,  and  so 
they  lead  these  shut-up,  aimless  lives — little  interest  in 
this  life,  and  no  hope  for  the  future.  The  case  I men- 
tioned above  was  a bad  one,  but  turned  out  splendidly, 
and  I hope  it  may  lead  to  my  gaining  free  access  to  the 
homes  of  these  people.  If  it  does,  1 will  feel  that,  after 
all,  that  diploma  was  not  earned  in  vain.  We  have  no 
long  missionary  tours  to  tell  about  like  Dr.  Hall.  The 
people  mostly  come  to  us.  We  have  service  with  them 
before  dispensary,  and  then  we  have  a Bible  woman  and 
a catechist  who  reads  or  sings  with  the  ones  who  are 
waiting  to  be  treated  while  we  are  treating  others. 
We  find,  however,  as  I am  sure  every  medical  mission- 
ary must,  that  the  ones  we  keep  with  us  in  the  hospital 
are  the  ones  over  whom  we  can  gain  most  influence, 
and  to  whom  we  can  carefully  teach  the  way  of  truth. 

“We  had  one  man  with  us  a little  while  ago,  a car- 
penter by  caste,  whose  eye  Dr.  Scott  removed.  The 
operation  proved  successful,  and  the  man  went  away 
from  here,  I believe,  a real  Christian.  We  are  espe- 
cially glad  about  him,  because  none  of  his  caste,  in  all 
the  years  the  Gospel  has  been  preached  here,  has  ever 
accepted  Christianity,  and  we  hope  it  may  be  the  begin- 
ning of  great  things  for  them. 

“ After  all.  Miss  Donaldson,  I’m  not  sorry  I did  not 
go  to  Africa.  These  people  here  are  nearly  as  dark  as 
the  Africans,  only  they  have  much  better  features  ; 
some  of  them  are  really  beautiful  and  very  lovable.  I 
have  as  my  special  charge  a young  girl  about  twenty- 
three  years  old.  She  is  my  interpreter  in  my  dispen- 
sary, and  assists  me  in  many  ways.  It  is  very  strange 


99 


about  her.  You  know  that  in  this  country  girls  are 
married  when  they  are  very  young,  and  it  is  an  unheard- 
of  thing  for  any  girl  to  grow  to  be  twenty-five  or 
twenty-six  without  being  married.  Some  way — and  I 
believe  the  desire  was  God-given — this  young  girl  years 
ago  had  it  strongly  impressed  on  her  that  she  must 
study  medicine  and  be  a help  to  her  countrywomen. 
It  seems  strange  that  the  wisli  should  come  to  her,  for 
there  seemed  no  possible  way  of  ever  having  it  fulfilled. 
There  then  had  never  been  a lady  physician  here,  and 
nothing  had  been  said  as  to  there  ever  being  one. 
But  the  girl  cherished  the  wish,  and  for  years,  morning 
and  evening,  and  many  times  in  the  day,  lifted  her 
heart  to  her  heavenly  Father  for  guidance  in  what  she 
believed  to  be  his  will  for  her.  Marriage  after  marriage 
was  planned  for  her,  but  she  absolutely  refused  to 
think  of.  it.  They  tried  to  force  her  to  marry,  but  she 
stood  firm,  and  when  I came  here  and  wanted  an 
assistant,  some  one  told  me  of  her.  I went  and  saw 
her,  and  now  I have  her  in  my  own  home,  training  her 
in  all  that  I do  in  medical  work.  I can’t  be  thankful 
enough  for  her;  she  is  just  what  I wanted,  and  what  I 
thought  it  would  be  impossible  to  find  in  this  country, 
for  of  course  such  a thing  is  unheard  of  among  them  ; 
but  I feel  as  if  the  kind,  loving  Father  had  had  us  both 
in  his  plan,  and  had  just  arranged  us  for  one  another. 
But  I am  going  on  too  long. 

“ I have  heard  nothing  from  Dr.  Ross.  I am  anx- 
iously waiting  till  it  is  her  turn  to  write  to  the  circle. 
And  now  I must  say  good-bye.  May  our  great  all 
Father  keep  us  very  near  to  himself  until  the  time 
when  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is. 

“With  much  love  to  all,  in  which  my  husband  joins 
“Your  friend,  M.  E.  Macallum  Scott. 


100 


“American  Baptist  Missionary  Union, 

“Nellore,  India,  June  25,  1895. 

“My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : I hardly  know  how  to  re- 
ply to  your  note  of  May  13,  received  by  last  mail. 
Very  gladly,  were  it  in  my  power,  would  I contribute 
something  as  a memorial  of  Dr.  Hall  and  his  work  in 
Madison  Street,  but  I was  not  so  intimately  associated 
with  him  in  the  work  there  as  were  the  other  members 
of  our  circle,  so  cannot  contribute  any  details. 

“To  those  who  knew  Dr.  Hall  nothing  need  be 
said  of  his  genial,  warm-hearted  personality;  to  those 
who  knew  him  not  no  words  will  convey  the  tone  of 
voice  and  lighting  up  of  the  eye  as  he  shook  hands 
with  one  of  his  fellow-workers  and  said,  ‘I  am  glad 
to  see  you,’  even  though  interrupted  at  his  busiest 
moments. 

“One  of  the  strongest  impressions  which  he  made 
upon  me  was  that  of  a man  of  much  prayer.  I some- 
times thought  there  was  no  time  or  place  but  what  he 
would  stop  his  work  and  hold  a little  prayer  meeting  with 
two  or  three  friends.  How  many  times  can  I hear  him 
say,  as  we  separated  after  some  plan  or  phase  of  the 
work  was  under  consideration  : ‘ Let  us  pray  about  it,’ 
or  ‘Let  us  all  remember  it  in  prayer.’  In  the  interval 
between  the  Sunday  school. and  evening  service,  part  of 
which  we  always  spent  together  at  the  throne  of  grace 
before  going  down  stairs,  his  voice  was  always  most 
earnest  seeking  for  a blessing  upon  the  scholars  of  the 
Sunday  school  and  beseeching  for  the  poor,  weak,  and 
downfallen  ones  that  we  were  sure  to  meet  in  the  even- 
ing; perhaps  he  had  but  just  left  his  own  room,  where 
he  had  gathered  a few  of  the  boys  together  for  prayer 
and  talk.  From  the  first  of  my  acquaintance  with  him 
at  the  institute  this  habit  of  much  prayer  was  promi- 


lOI 


nent.  When  the  interest  of  a few  of  ns  was  centered  in 
Roosevelt  Street,  and  we  met  together  for  a few  moments 
before  the  regular  Saturday  evening  service,  we  all  felt 
the  power  of  his  earnestness  as  he  sought  guidance  and 
power  for  the  Sabbath, 

“I  wish  I might  add  something  more  worthy,  my  dear 
Mrs.  Hall.  I miss  the  doctor’s  letters  very  much  from 
the  circle. 

“ May  God  bless  you  and  guide  you  in  the  rearing  of 
the  little  ones  he  has  given  you  ! 

“Your  sister  in  Christ, 

“Orissa  W.  Gould.’’ 

“ Presbyterian  Mission,  Petchaburee,  Siam. 

“ October  i8,  1893. 

“ To  the  Friends  of  the  M.  M.  C.  C. 

“My  Dear  Friends  : The  time  has  arrived  for  me 
to  write  you  if  this  is  to  be  received  at  the  appointed 
time.  I am  very  busy  at  present,  being  in  the  midst  of 
building  operations,  besides  much  general  work  outside 
of  the  care  of  hospital  and  medical  work.  Petchaburee 
at  present  is  short-handed,  which  accounts  for  so  much 
of  the  extra  work  falling  on  my  hands. 

“ Last  year  we  had  another  male  missionary  here,  and 
I was  able  to  get  in  considerable  study,  notwithstand- 
ing the  amount  of  medical  work  I had  to  do,  but  this 
year  I have  been  able  to  study  only  about  two  months. 
I have  often  felt  thankful  for  my  early  training,  as  I 
have  found  it  extremely  useful  out  here,  having  to  su- 
perintend the  building  of  the  new  women’s  ward  and 
other  buildings,  and  often  have  to  do  considerable  of 
the  work  myself. 

“ The  carpenters  here  are  not  like  the  Chinese  ; you 


102 


cannot  get  them  to  work  by  the  job  very  often,  as  in  Bang- 
kok, and  they  work  at  a snail’s  pace.  I have  a circular 
saw  and  shaper  (moulding  machine),  which  is  worked 
by  two  or  three  men  swinging  a framework,  one  end  of 
which  is  attached  to  a crank  on  either  side  of  a large 
wheel  and  the  other  end  suspended  by  a rope.  I have 
had  to  do  a great  deal  of  the  w’ork  on  the  machines,  as 
the  natives  are  inexperienced  in  the  use  of  machin- 
ery. I have  also  a lathe  and  jig  saw  and  mortising 
machine. 

“All  the  buildings  are  brick,  with  woodwork  of  teak, 
oiled  ; the  roofs  of  old  buildings  are  part  tiles  and  part 
chaak  ; new  will  be  teak  shingles.  They  are  clean,  and 
buildings  of  which  no  one  of  us  would  be  ashamed — 
certainly  better  than  any  of  I.  M.  M.  S.  dispensaries, 
and  better  equipped.  I have  about  all  the  apparatus 
needed  to  compound  drugs.  We  have  to  thank  the 
king  and  queen  for  most  of  the  buildings;  the  king 
gave  the  money  to  build  the  largest  part  of  the  men’s 
building,  and  the  queen  gave  the  money  with  which 
I am  building  the  women’s  ward,  operating  and  drug 
rooms. 

“ The  city  contains,  according  to  statistics,  10,000 
inhabitants,  but  I doubt  if  it  reaches  that.  We  have 
some  very  good  roads,  so  that  in  visiting  patients  I am 
able  to  use  a cart  during  the  dry  season  ; in  the  wet 
season,  however,  I am  forced  to  go  on  horseback,  and 
oftentimes  through  water  four  or  five  feet  deep.  Now  I 
have  given  you  a pretty  fair  idea  of  my  hospital,  and  I 
must  say  something  about  the  work  itself.  The  hos- 
pital work  is  not  so  brisk  at  present,  but  is  picking  up 
again.  W'C  have  five  patients  in  the  hospital  now. 
This  being  the  wet  season,  when  most  of  the  land  is 
under  water,  very  few  of  the  country  folks  can  come  in. 


103 


so  there  is  less  surgical  work ; for  during  the  dry  season, 
when  the  roads  are  all  open,  the  farmers  come  to  mar- 
ket and  drink  Chinese  whisky,  and  the  result  is  usually 
a cut  head,  arm,  or  chest.  Very  often  two  or  three 
join  together  on  a cutting  expedition,  and  cut  up  any- 
body they  meet,  especially  if  they  hold  any  old  grudge 
against  them.  They  always  endeavor  to  pay  anyone 
back  that  has  injured  them  in  any  way.  The  knives 
they  use  are  of  all  sizes  and  descriptions,  but  the  usual 
one  for  carving  at  night  is  about  three  feet  long,  includ- 
ing the  handle,  which  is  about  ten  inches  long.  The 
wounds  inflicted  by  these  knives  form  the  greater  bulk 
of  our  hospital  patients,  syphilitic  troubles  forming  most 
of  the  dispensary  patients.  Besides  knife  wounds,  we 
have  those  inflicted  by  spears,  sharpened  bamboo,  and 
gunshot  wounds.  Some  of  the  cases  we  receive  I feel 
sure  would  have  little  chance  of  recovery  at  home,  but 
they  heal  nicely  here  without  the  trouble  that  would  be 
necessary  to  bestow  upon  them  at  home.  It  is  common 
to  have  patients  brought  with  broken  skulls,  and  often- 
times with  large  parts  of  the  brain  surface  exposed,  and 
sometimes  lacerated,  arms  and  hands  all  butchered  up  ; 
but  they  usually  all  pull  through,  even  when  Siamese 
doctors  and  others  declare  that  they  must  die;  in  fact, 
if  I remember  aright,  I have  only  lost  one  case  of  this 
kind,  and  he  came  weeks  after  having  been  shot  in  the 
back,  and  gangrene  and  pneumonia  had  already  set  in. 
Besides  patients  of  this  kind,  we  have  plenty  of  skin 
diseases,  syphilis,  and  syphilitic  ulcers,  hemorrhoids? 
and  diarrhoea.  We  do  not  have  much  call  for  the  gen- 
eral run  of  medical  work  at  home,  as  there  are  scores  of 
Chinese  and  Siamese  doctors  here.  Well,  as  to  the  gen- 
eral work  I cannot  give  such  an  encouraging  account. 
The  work  is  hard  and  very  little  apparent  results. 


104 


“Touring  I consider  to  be  of  the  greatest  value,  but 
we  are  limited  in  regard  to  that  work  here  on  account 
of  the  small  number  of  workers,  one  male  member  hav- 
ing to  stay  on  the  compound  to  protect  the  ladies  and 
property.  Our  chapel  and  Sunday  school  are  fairly 
well  attended,  but  there  is  the  tendency  for  only  those 
who  are  more  or  less  in  our  employ  to  attend.  We  have 
every  Thursday  night  an  English  prayer  meeting,  which 
we  find  very  profitable  and  helpful.  Besides  this,  we 
meet  for  prayer  every  day  at  noon  in  my  house,  which 
is  a great  help  in  keeping  up  the  tone  of  spiritual  life. 
I was  delighted  to  hear  so  much  news  in  the  last  from 
Madison  and  ii8,  but  sorry  to  hear  of  Brother  Coote’s 
death.  Well  do  I remember  the  talks  we  had  together 
at  1 1 8,  and  especially  at  Madison,  where  we  were  so  in- 
timately connected  in  the  work  ; but  we  sorrow  not,  for 
our  loss  was  his  gain.  Pixley,  too,  has  gained  his  re- 
ward. How  good  the  Lord  is  to  us,  unprofitable  serv- 
ants as  we  are,  in  continuing  to  spare  us  to  labor  in  his 
vineyard.  Has  anyone  heard  anything  from  Malcolm  } 
What  is  the  matter  with  him  } I have  heard  nothing 
from  him  since  he  left  Vancouver.  Briggs  was  down 
to  Bangkok,  ninety  miles  from  here,  getting  tied  up 
again,  but  could  not  come  to  visit  me.  I must  now 
close.  I fear  you  will  not  enjoy  this  letter  very  much, 
but  it  will  give  you  some  idea  of  the  work  in  Siam.  I 
hope  to  give  you  something  more  interesting  when  I get 
some  of  this  extra  work  off  my  hands.  I pray  that 
God’s  richest  blessings  may  rest  upon  every  member  of 
our  circle,  and  that  we  may  all  be  used  in  the  blessed 
work  of  bringing  the  world  to  the  feet  of  its  Redeemer. 

“Yours  in  the  work, 

“Walter  B.  Toy.’’ 


05 


“China  Inland  Mission,  Shanghai. 

“In  the  summer  of  1892  it  was  laid  on  Dr.  Hall’s 
heart  to  gather  together  the  children  of  the  downtown 
Sunday  schools  in  New  York  with  which  he  was  at  that 
time  associated  and  take  them  to  the  country  for  a few 
weeks  in  connection  with  a fresh-air  fund. 

“ Ever  on  the  alert  for  ways  of  getting  at  souls  to  win 
them  for  the  Master,  he  thought  this  was  a means  of 
getting  at  the  boys  and  girls  which  ought  to  be  made 
the  most  of.  One  hour  a week  in  Sunday  school  with 
the  children  is  all  too  short  to  affect  its  purpose.  The 
home  influences  surrounding  the  majority  of  them  dur- 
ing the  rest  of  the  week  are  such  as  go  a long  way  to 
undo  the  influences  of  the  Sunday  school. 

“Eleven  helpers  gathered  around  Dr.  Hall  to  help  in 
carrying  out  his  plans.  The  writer  had  the  privilege  of 
being  one  of  them.  About  one  hundred  and  thirty 
children  were  gathered  together.  A lovely  spot  near 
the  Charlestone  Lake,  Ontario,  Canada,  was  chosen  as 
the  camping  ground.  Tents  were  prepared  and  provi- 
sions stored.  Each  child  took  a cup,  plate,  knife,  fork, 
spoon,  and  bedding.  We  started  off  on  a warm  night 
in  June.  We  had  not  gone  very  far  when  the  train 
stopped,  and  on  inquiring  what  was  the  matter,  we 
found  there  was  a landslide  ahead,  which  was  being  re- 
paired, but  would  take  several  hours  for  the  repairs  to 
be  finished.  To  keep  the  children  in  the  train  and 
from  running  about  the  track  was  a task,  but  we  did  so, 
and  in  a few  hours  started  off  again.  Next  day,  when 
we  got  to  a stopping  place  where  we  ought  to  have 
made  a connection,  we  found  that  we  had  missed  the 
train  we  ought  to  have  connected  with,  on  account  of 
the  stoppage  of  the  previous  evening.  Four  more 
hours  were  spent  in  entertaining  the  children  and  keep- 
14 


io6 


ing  them  out  of  mischief.  This  work  was  more  difficult 
in  daylight.  One  little  girl  managed  to  get  a deep  cut 
in  her  head. 

“Food  was  getting  exhausted,  and  we  were  turning 
over  in  our  minds  how  to  get  more  to  supply  our  one 
hundred  and  thirty  children  when  the  Secretary  of  the 
Utica  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  came  along, 
and  directing  Dr.  Hall  to  a restaurant  nearby,  asked  that 
the  children  have  lunch  at  the  expense  of  tlie  Young 
Men’s  Christian  Association.  Gladly  accepting  the 
generous  offer  we  marched  the  children  off  in  two  lots 
just  half  an  hour  before  the  train  should  start.  All 
the  teachers  had  to  become  waiters.  Some  hard  work 
and  quick  eating  was  done,  and  the  children  were  then 
hurried  back  just  in  time  to  catch  the  waiting  train.  In 
the  evening  came  our  next  unlooked-for  stoppage.  A 
train  ran  only  once  a day  from  Brockville  to  Athens, 
and  we  had  missed  that  by  a few  hours.  No  other 
train  ran  till  next  day.  Friends  met  us,  took  us  all  to 
a nice  little  Methodist  chapel,  where  lunch  was  again 
provided  for  us,  and  then  arose  the  question  where  we 
should  spend  the  night.?  Dr.  Hall  and  the  friends 
arranged  to  have  cots  brought  into  the  basement  of  the 
chapel  for  the  girls  and  ladies,  and  let  the  boys  and 
gentlemen  spend  the  night  in  a hayloft.  An  old  gen- 
tleman rose  to  tell  those  who  were  present  what  ar- 
rangements were  thought  of  for  our  accommodation, 
saying  at  the  same  time  that  if  any  present  wished  to 
entertain  two  or  three  or  more  of  us  for  the  night,  kindly 
say  so.  Offers  came  in  until  all  the  girls  and  ladies, 
and  nearly  all  the  boys,  had  homes  i)rovided  for  them 
instead  of  basement  and  hayloft.  The  few  remaining 
boys  and  one  or  two  gentlemen  had  comfortable 
cots  in  the  chapel  basement.  It  was  4 p.  m.  next 


lO/ 


day  before  our  train  was  due,  and  we  were  loath  to 
trouble  our  kind  friends  further,  so  a picnic  was 
planned  for  the  children  in  a grove  just  outside  the* 
town.  Swings,  bats,  and  balls,  etc.,  were  brought  out 
and  we  had  a jolly  time.  After  the  picnic  we  had 
about  an  hour  in  the  train,  and  at  length  alighted  at  the 
nearest  railway  station  to  our  chosen  camping  ground. 
Again  we  were  met  by  friends,  taken  to  a church  lawn, 
where  lunch  was  awaiting  us. 

“After  a happy  hour  or  two  spent  there,  we  accom- 
plished the  remaining  five  or  six  miles,  some  on  foot 
and  some  in  the  carts  of  kind  farmers.  We  found  our- 
selves at  the  end  of  our  journey  the  third  night  after 
leaving  New  York,  instead  of  the  second  as  we  had  an- 
ticipated. Our  camj^ing  ground  was  a piece  of  unculti- 
vated land,  plentifully  supplied  with  trees,  by  the  side 
of  a lovely  island-dotted  lake  some  few  miles  in  cir- 
cumference. The  night  of  our  arrival  it  was  too  late 
to  have  tents  pitched,  etc.,  so  we  slept  (?)  in  a little 
frame  house  that  Dr.  Hall  had  engaged  in  case  of 
emergencies,  such  as  rainy  weather.  It  was  a tiny 
house,  two  rooms  up  stairs  and  two  down  stairs  were  at 
our  disposal.  We  got  all  the  girls  tucked  into  tight 
sleeping  quarters  up  stairs,  and  the  boys  down  stairs.  It 
was  very  late  before  all  settled  down  to  sleep,  and  very 
early  when  they  awoke. 

“ The  beautiful  lake  soon  became  a source  of  anxiety 
to  some  of  us,  lest  some  of  our  lively  youngsters  should 
manage  to  drown  themselves.  However  we  soon  got  to 
know  the  safe  and  the  dangerous  spots  for  cliildren, 
and  forbade  any  going  to  the  latter.  Saturday,  tents 
were  erected,  a dining  room  with  a carpet  of  grass 
chosen  nearby,  the  children  separated  into  families  of 
from  nine  to  twelve,  each  family  having  a teacher  to 


io8 

care  for  them  and  a tent  to  live  in.  Arrangements 
were  just  made  for  spending  a happy  and  profitable 
two  weeks  together,  when  rain  began  to  fall,  slight  at 
first,  but  getting  heavier  as  the  hours  went  by,  until,  to 
city  children,  everything  around  us  looked  very  deso- 
late. 

“ Then  began  a time  of  homesickness  for  the  majority 
of  them.  A teaclier  here  and  tliere,  in  the  tent  door, 
with  a group  of  crying  children  about  her  or  him,  looking 
out  dolefully  into  the  rain,  and  refusing  to  be  comforted, 
formed  the  program  for  the  closing  hour  or  two  of  that 
day.  Dr.  Hall  was  to  be  seen  moving  from  tent  to 
tent,  cheering  teachers  and  children,  and  discussing  the 
advisability  of  spending  the  night  in  the  tents  and  risk- 
ing the  children  getting  cold,  or  spending  another  night 
crowded  into  our  little  cottage  as  on  the  previous  night. 
At  last  it  was  thought  best  to  put  as  many  as  was 
thought  safe  into  the  tents,  getting  all  bedding  away 
from  the  sides  where  it  was  most  liable  to  get  damp,  the 
rest  of  the  children  being  taken  to  the  cottage.  The 
night  passed  without  anyone  taking  cold.  Next  day 
the  sun  was  shining  brightly,  and  all  vestiges  of  the 
previous  evening’s  gloom  had  disappeared.  We  had  a 
happy  Sunday.  Services  were  held  for  the  children 
out  of  doors  morning  and  afternoon.  Many  people 
from  surrounding  farms  and  villages  joined  us,  and 
these  meetings  sometimes  took  the  form  of  Gospel 
services. 

“ On  Monday  arrangements  for  entertainment  of  the 
children  were  completed.  Some  twelve  or  thirteen 
boats  were  hired.  A nice  beach  for  bathing  was  dis- 
covered some  twenty  minutes’  row  distant,  and  a trip 
thence  for  the  girls  every  morning,  and  boys  every  after- 
noon, formed  part  of  each  day’s  proceedings.  Two 


109 


weeks  were  spent  happily  and  profitably.  Opportuni- 
ties for  personal  dealing  with,  the  children  were  many. 
Dr.  Hall  was  assiduous  in  his  efforts  to  win  the 
young  souls  committed  to  his  care  for  those  weeks  to 
the  Master.  He  used  to  say,  “ Be  in  earnest  about 
taking  these  opportunities  of  seeking  to  lead  these  boys 
and  girls  to  Jesus.  We  will  never  have  these  opportu- 
nities again.”  Some  of  them,  we  had  reason  to  believe, 
took  Jesus  as  their  Saviour.  Over  all  an  influence  was 
obtained  such  as  we  had  not  managed  to  gain  in  two 
or  three  years  of  simple  Sunday  school  teaching.  The 
work  became  easier  and  more  full  of  interest  to  children 
and  teachers  since  we  had  spent  these  weeks  together, 
and  got  to  know  each  other  so  well.  The  loving  will- 
ingness of  Dr.  Hall  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  others 
was  beautifully  shown,  while  his  thought  and  care,  both 
for  the  bodies  and  souls  of  the  children,  were  splendidly 
rewarded.  Ina  Ross  Anderson,  M.D.” 

“ Methodist  Episcopal  Mission,  Seoul,  Korea, 

'‘’‘December  4,  1895. 

“ Although  writing  from  the  last  field  of  Dr.  Hall’s 
labors,  I like  to  turn  to  another  field  and  recall  the 
days  of  our  early  acquaintance  in  New  York. 

“I  had  just  arrived  in  the  busy  metropolis  to  com- 
mence my  medical  studies,  and  the  difficulties  and 
temptations  through  which  one  must  pass  in  obtaining 
a medical  education  were  ahead  of  me.  Dr.  Hall  had 
passed  through  them  all,  and  like  a father  he  started 
Dr.  Henderson  and  myself  on  the  road.  Many  times 
the  doctor  would  stop  in  the  midst  of  his  work  to  help 
us  over  difficult  places,  to  make  hard  things  plain,  and 
to  pray  with  us  in  times  of  need.  In  fact,  he  seemed  to 
take  a delight  in  it,  and  would  often  supply  the  needs 


I 10 


of  others  without  thinking  of  his  own.  A downtown 
dispensary  became  a sacred  place  when  the  attending 
physician,  together  with  the  medical  students,  lifted 
up  their  hearts  to  the  great  Physician  for  direction 
in  tlie  work  of  the  day,  and  sought  help  in  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  to  the  poor.  Few  realize  what  influ- 
ence those  months  spent  witli  Dr.  Hall  had  on  my  after 
life. 

“ Day  and  night  I have  been  by  the  doctor’s  side 
while  he  consoled  those  in  trouble,  lifted  his  hand  to 
soothe  the  brow  racked  with  pain,  or  taking  a host  of 
children  from  the  foul  air  of  lower  New  York  to  enjoy 
with  him  the  country  air  of  his  Canadian  home.  Even 
if  it  were  five  hundred  miles  away  from  the  city  of  New 
York  the  difficulty  was  soon  overcome.  Or,  while  with 
him  in  the  meetings  at  Madison  Mission,  raising  his 
strong  voice  in  song, 

“ ‘ I will  meet  you  in  the  city  of  the  New  Jerusalem, 

Are  you  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ? ’ 

he  exhorted  tramps,  thieves,  and  outcasts  to  turn  from 
their  sins,  I have  learned  lessons  in  devotion  to  work, 
consecration,  and  zeal  which  I shall  never  forget. 

“ I might  speak  of  the  rich  fellowship  in  those  little 
gatherings  of  the  Madison  Mission  Band  of  which  Dr. 
Hall  was  the  leader.  They  were  truly  soul  inspiring, 
and  we  perhaps  then  little  realized  what  a preparation 
they  were  for  our  life  work.  Discouragements,  diffi- 
culties, all  fled  as  the  words  of  ‘ Draw  me  nearer’  rose 
from  earnest  hearts  in  unison. 

“At  the  closing  hours  of  Dr.  Hall’s  life,  on  that  chill 
November  day,  we  joined  in  prayer  for  the  last  time, 
and  the  words  of  the  song  which  so  frequently  echoed 
and  reechoed  from  the  walls  of  the  mission  chapel,  ‘ I 
will  meet  you  in  the  city  of  the  New  Jerusalem,’  came 


back  to  me.  Yes,  doctor,  we  will  meet  in  that  city,  and 
those  of  us  who  remain  in  that  little  mission  band  will 
exhort  others  to  meet  you  and  us  by  and  by,  where 
Africans,  Burmans,  Hindus,  Chinese,  and  Koreans  will 
join  in  the  great  song  of  redemption. 

“John  B.  Busteed,  M.D.” 

“Baptist  Mission,  Mone,  Burmah. 

“ In  doing  what  I can  to  honor  and  perpetuate,  to 
some  small  degree,  the  memory  of  one  to  whom  I owe 
much,  it  has  seemed  best  to  try  to  present  the  picture 
just  as  it  is.  It  is  a difficult  matter,  often,  to  do  what 
seems  so  simple,  for  friendship  always  wishes  to  em- 
phasize what  is  best,  and  to  minimize  what  may  appear 
faulty.  So  it  is  that  often  in  biographical  sketches  we 
have  presented  to  us  men  and  women  who  seem  far 
beyond  our  reach.  They  stand  on  a pinnacle  with  no 
steps  leading  up  to  it,  and  though  we  admire  and  may 
long  to  emulate  them,  unconsciously  forgetting  that 
they  fought  the  same  nature  which  is  our  bane,  we  feel 
that  we  can  never  reach  that  height.  Perhaps  we  may 
not  ; yet  what  is  a life  worth  that  does  not  show  the 
way  through  the  difficulties  with  which  we  are  all  beset 
and  hindered  to  heights  that  we  are  all  striving  after, 
so  emphasizing  the  fact  that  victory  may  be  won  by  us  ? 
Was  not  this  a part  of  the  work  of  Christ,  stepping 
down  into  our  fallen  human  nature,  then  beating  down, 
one  by  one,  the  enemies  which  opposed  Him  as  they  do 
us,  till  by  His  fallen  foes  He  had  marked  out  the  path 
leading  up  to  the  throne  of  God,  in  which  we  now  feel 
pit  ossible  to  follow  } So  in  men  whom  we  know,  ad- 
mire, and  love,  we  see  much  that  is  very  good,  but  we 
are  very  bad^  so  that  it  is  rather  their  human  nature 
cropping  up  which  gives  us  hope  ; it  is  a connecting 


12 


link  between  them  and  us;  why,  then,  hide  it?  It  is 
the  more  easy  to  be  truthful  here  because  truth  does 
so  little  violence  to  friendship.  Dr.  Hall’s  life  has  few 
marring  spots. 

“ My  first  impressions  of  him  were  not  very  favorable. 
Sitting,  cramped  in  a corner,  he  said  rather  awkwardly, 
what  little  he  did  say.  He  did  not  seem  brilliant,  though 
he  did  seem  kind.  He  left  with  an  invitation  to  come 
down  and  see  the  dispensary,  which  invitation  was 
afterward  accepted  because  it  was  the  only  one  I had, 
rather  than  for  any  special  pleasure  that  it  promised. 
He  was,  too,  it  afterward  appeared,  by  nature  rather 
timid,  though  this  was  not  often  seen.  Once  a tooth 
had  to  be  drawn,  the  property  of  a strapping  young 
German,  who,  in  the  midst  of  the  operation  emitted 
such  a blood-curdling  groan  that  Dr.  Hall  was  glad  to 
leave  him  in  possession  of  it.  Yet  as  we  grew  together 
his  life  became  a constant  marvel,  a constant  study. 
Where  was  his  power?  Why  should  this  man  succeed 
where  others  failed?  If  we  can  but  find  out  his  secret 
we  too  may  succeed. 

“ One  factor  in  his  success  was  his  patience. 

“As  far  as  I can  remember,  I cannot  recall  one 
instance  of  impatience.  !My  memory  may  play  me 
false,  but  I recall  none.  Occasionally  he  spoke 
sharply,  but  only  when  it  was  needed.  Truly  as  one 
thinks  of  it,  a life  among  children  filled  to  the  brim 
with  mischief  and  wickedness,  work  where  for  years  he 
was  surrounded  by  young  lads  bent  on  provoking,  older 
men  and  women  drunken,  untruthful,  degraded,  and  at 
first  so  bitterly  hostile  that  they  would  furtively  stone 
him  as  he  walked  along  the  street,  to  be  unable  to  re- 
call one  impatient  scene  is  marvelous.  Yet  it  was  not 
his  patience  that  struck  one  ; given  his  character  and 


you  would  expect  patience,  just  as  given  a good  apple 
tree  you  would  expect  apples.  The  roots  of  patience, 
humility,  and  obedience  were  there.  Pride  and  self- 
ishness, the  roots  of  impatience,  were  not,  or,  if  they 
were,  it  was  known  only  to  himself ; wewQYQX  saw  them. 
He  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  love,  his  one  thought 
concerning  these  people  seemed  to  be  how  they  might 
be  rescued  to  better  things,  and  in  such  an  atmosphere 
impatience  withered  and  died.  God’s  infinite  patience 
toward  us  is  not  grounded  on  our  goodness  nor  on  the 
promise  of  better  things  to  come;  it  rather  rests  on  His 
infinite  pity,  because,  blinded  and  bound,  we  are  led 
captive  at  the  will  of  the  devil.  The  worse  we  are  the 
more  He  pities  and  bears.  This  servant  of  His  in  this 
had  caught  his  Master’s  spirit.  We  can  trace  it  every- 
where in  his  work. 

“ Besides  this  he  had  a great  deal  of  tact.  One  is 
accustomed  to  think  of  tact  as  born  rather  than 
won.  We  sigh  envious  sighs  when  we  meet  those 
brilliant  people  who  seem  always  to  know  exactly  what 
to  say  and  just  how  to  say  it.  But  there  is  a tact  of 
another  sort,  one  which  is  neither  so  brilliant  nor  so 
envied,  and  which  is  far  more  the  result  of  the  will  than 
the  wits.  This  kind  Dr.  Hall  possessed  in  an  eminent 
degree  : the  power  of  getting  the  best  out  of  everyone. 
We  had  a handful  of  uncohesive  church  members  as  a 
center  from  which  to  work.  With  a few  honorable  ex- 
ceptions who  were  a comfort  and  encouragement  in 
every  time  of  trial,  each  one  seemed  either  to  have  his 
own  private  grievance,  old  or  new,  or  to  have  espoused 
that  of  somebody  else,  so  that  the  most  energy  was 
spent  in  tearing  one  another  to  pieces.  This  was  his 
first  task  to  face  in  taking  up  the  organized  work  of 
which  I chiefly  speak.  Spurgeon  used  to  say  he 
15 


14 


thanked  God  he  was  pastor  of  a large  church,  for  he 
feared  he  would  not  have  had  grace  enough  to  be  pas- 
tor of  a small  one.  If  ever  tact  is  needed  it  is  in  a 
place  like  this.  We  knew  nothing  of  it  till  twelve  or 
eighteen  months  later.  We  only  saw  different  ones 
whom  we  afterward  learned  to  know  and  appreciate 
coming  in  and  taking  an  interest  in  the  meetings.  God 
only  knows  what  arguments  he  used  ; his  plan  of  work 
was  to  ‘keep  at  them.’  He  sympathized  in  their 
trials,  visited  them  constantly,  won  their  hearts,  and 
lived  Christ  before  them.  This,  together  with  the  con- 
stant recognition  and  encouragement  of  what  was  good 
in  a person,  gave  him  the  key  to  people’s  hearts.  I 
speak  from  experience  when  I testify  to  the  immense 
power  for  good  which  this  loving  habit  of  a loving 
heart  possesses  ; namely,  the  recognition  of  what  is 
good  and  blindness  to  what  is  bad.  With  his  great, 
generous  heart  he  would  overestimate  your  character 
for  good,  and  it  gave  you  courage  to  try  and  be  equal 
to  his  estimate.  An  incident  of  which  he  never  knew 
the  inner  history  may  serve  to  illustrate.  We  had  not 
worked  together  long,  and  I was  yet  but  a slow  hand 
at  putting  up  prescriptions,  much  slower  than  he  was 
at  writing  them.  One  day,  when  away  behind  and  in- 
wardly fuming  at  every  fresh  prescription  he  added,  I 
felt  very  much  like  throwing  some  of  the  bottles  at  him, 
or  relieving  n^iyself  in  some  less  pugnacious  way.  How- 
ever, we  got  through  at  last,  and  on  our  way  liome  he 
said:  ‘You’ll  be  able  to  do  a lot  of  work  ; you  don’t 
worry  over  things  ; you  just  go  quietly  on  and  do 
them.’ 

“ We  were  thrown  together  every  day  in  dispensary 
work  for  about  eight  months,  and  the  lessons  of  a beau- 
tiful Christian  life  were  constantly  before  me.  He 


would  put  his  arms  around  the  dirty  little  children  who 
came  in,  and  talk  to  them  so  kindly  and  lovingly  that 
in  a very  few  minutes  he  would  win  their  hearts. 

“ Here  is  a specimen  of  his  plans  ; One  summer  at  the 
beginning  of  his  work  in  the  New  York  slums  he  spent 
working  single-handed  in  Roosevelt  Street.  He  tackled 
the  Sunday  school,  with  all  that  that  means  when  the 
ruling  force  is  short-handed,  and  then  for  his  breath  of 
fresh  air  he  would  take  ten  or  a dozen  children  to  spend 
the  afternoon  in  Central  Park,  paying  their  carfare  out 
of  his  small  means.  That  these  were  none  too  plentiful 
may  be  imagined  from  the  fact  that  when  an  intimate 
friend  wrote  him  asking  for  a small  loan  he  sent  it 
along,  adding  in  confidence  that  some  of  it  had  been 
earned  blacking  boots  and  carrying  coal. 

We  have  now  touched  another  marked  trait  in  his 
character;  namely,  his  self-denial  and  consecration. 
These  two  words  were  the  keynotes  to  which  his  life 
was  pitched.  They  show  well  in  a scheme  of  his  for 
the  children  which  was  carried  out  one  summer.  It 
might  be  taken  up  and  made  an  untold  power  for  good. 
Soii)e  one  hundred  and  thirty  children  were  collected 
from  various  Sunday  schools  and  taken  off  for  a two 
weeks’  stay  in  Canada.  The  plan  differed  from  the 
ordinary  summer  outing  for  poor  children  in  the  fact 
that  in  place  of  quartering  them  in  different  homes,  we 
made  one  camp  with  seven  or  eight  tents,  each  worker 
becoming  responsible  for  one  tent.  To  gather  them  on 
Sunday  under  the  trees  and  tell  them  some  Bible  story, 
to  play  with  them  during  the  week,  to  go  at  bedtime 
into  the  tent  and  after  a few  earnest,  loving  words,  to 
quietly  pray  with  them  in  the  twilight,  forged  a chain  of 
influences  round  them  that  was  golden  in  its  possibilities 
for  good.  The  responsibility  rested  very  heavily  upon 


i6 


him  at  times.  The  first  night,  before  we  had  had  time 
to  get  them  properly  housed,  the  rain  fell  steadily,  and 
it  was  impossible  to  keep  all  dry.  Visions  of  bronchitis 
and  pneumonia  rose  up  before  him,  aggravated  by  the 
weariness  of  a very  tiresome  trip.  He  spent  the  night  ' 
in  prayer,  and  his  fervent  ‘Praise  the  Lord,’  as  he  went 
from  tent  to  tent  at  daylight  finding  not  one  sick,  still 
lingers  in  our  minds.  It  >vas  a characteristic  of  his  to  < 
spend  long  seasons  of  the  night  in  prayer.  He  would 
often,  almost  always  in  fact,  after  we  had  been  talking 
over  study  or  work  or  plans  end  up  with,  ‘Well,  let  us 
have  a word  of  prayer,’  but  until  we  heard  of  those 
night  seasons  it  was  often  a puzzle  how  this  never-ebb- 
ing spiritual  life  was  kept  at  flood  tide.  His  whole 
working  life  was  a communion  with  God,  yet  this  is 
more  often  a result  than  a cause  of  a deep  spiritual  life, 
the  source  of  which  is  found  in  the  secret  chamber 
where  the  soul  meets  with  God  alone.  One  thing  is 
surprising,  he  seemed  to  be  neither  a deep  nor  constant 
student  of  the  Bible  ; that  is  to  say  there  were  not  in 
his  life  the  regular  hours  of  quiet  study  and  meditation 
which  form  the  foundation  stone  in  the  lives  of  so  n;any 
holy  men.  Apparently  he  depended  more  on  prayer. 

Many  of  the  workers  were  better  versed  in  Scripture, 
better  versed  in  medicine,  better  educated  altogether  ; 
but  it  was  his  entire  self-abnegation,  his  preeminence 
in  practical  godliness,  and  his  never-ceasing  self-denial*, 
which  made  all  willing  to  yield  the  first  place  without 
question  and  follow  in  all  his  plans.  To  give  anything 
like  a comprehensive  account  of  his  self-denial  would 
simply  be  to  give  a detailed  account  of  his  life.  He 
lived  in  it  and  he  died  in  it.  It  was  just  as  natural  to 
him  in  the  slums  of  New  York  as  it  was  on  the  battle- 
fields of  Korea;  the  same  spirit  sent  him  tramping  off  a 


mile  or  two  in  the  dark  to  serve  a child  in  the  Western 
city  as  sent  him  in  the  face  of  danger  to  treat  the  wounded 
soldiers  in  the  East.  He  would  share  his  last  cent  with 
anyone  who  needed  help.  God  was  the  provider,  he  but 
the  steward.  On  this  principle  he  undertook  to  share 
his  salary  with  some  six  others  of  us,  that  we  might  all 
work  during  the  summer  months  in  the  tenement  districts 
of  New  York,  where  we  had  plenty  of  prodigals  and 
rejoicing,  but,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  very  little 
fatted  calf.  Poor  Dr.  Hall  ! those  are  never-to-be- 
forgotten  days.  What  memories  cluster  round  them  ! 
What  lesson  seed  were  sown  there  ! Nothing  seemed 
too  costly  to  give.  Money  was  his  least  gift.  Drunkards, 
thieves,  or  any  friendless  man  was  received  into  his 
home  and  to  his  table.  If  he  could  only  feel  that  any- 
one wanted  to  do  better  he  was  willing  to  befriend 
him  with  all  that  he  had.  Whether  any  may  question 
the  wisdom  of  his  methods  or  not,  none  can  question 
his  heroic  unselfishness.  Yes,  he  was  sometimes  im- 
posed upon.  What  good  man  is  not.^  Who  gives  more 
to  men  that  are  unworthy  than  God  does  ? 

“And  now  that  those  times  are  forever  at  an  end,  what 
have  been  the  results  of  it  all?  Time  has  rolled  by  now 
sufificiently  to  gauge  them  more  justly  than  we  might  at 
first.  If  you  have  ever  worked  downtown  you  know 
of  the  difficulties  of  the  work.  So  many  depend  far  too 
much  on  the  magnetism  of  the  moment,  and  far  too 
little  on  their  own  personal  effort  and  responsibility. 
They  cling  like  so  many  iron  filings,  some  to  the  mag- 
net, some  to  each  other,  so  long  as  the  magnet  is  there. 
They  stuck  to  us,  and  I presume  are  sticking  on  some- 
where else  now.  Of  the  inner  circle  of  these  there  re- 
main a small  number  of  souls  redeemed  or  sanctified. 
But  to  estimate  the  results  of  his  work  in  New  York, 


Ii8 


to  this  you  must  add  the  sweet  savor  of  a holy  life 
found  in  many  a home  in  that  ward,  the  blessing  of 
many  a poor  mother,  the  love  of  many  a poor  little 
waif  whose  career  we  will  never  know  until  we  meet 
around  the  throne  of  God  in  heaven.  Time  and  again 
letters  arrive  which  tell  of  streamlets  of  good  influence, 
running  in  different  directions,  which  trace  their 
source  to  conversions  due  to  his  work.  In  a large  city 
with  such  work  as  he  carried  on  results  can  never  be 
tabulated  ; it  is  more  like  salt  dropped  in  and  spread- 
ing everywhere  as  populations  go  and  come.  We  can 
more  readily  trace  his  influence  on  his  fellow-workers. 
Two  work  in  China  who  were  brought  to  Christ  by 
him ; others  in  Brazil,  China,  Korea,  Siam,  Burmah, 
India,  and  Ceylon,  as  well  -as  at  home,  with  thankful 
hearts  cherish  his  beautiful  memory  and  can  constantly 
trace  both  in  woof  and  warp  of  their  work  the  golden 
threads  which  God  chose  him  to  weave  in. 

“ It  would  be  very  far  indeed  from  my  desire  if,  in 
writing  this  little  fragment,  any  standard  impossible  of 
attainment  to  others  has  been  held  up.  Rather  the 
lesson  of  Dr.  Hall’s  life  is  that  all  may  do  a grand 
work.  Tact  and  patience  like  his  are  prizes  to  be  won 
by  everyone,  and  the  beautiful  little  blossoms  of  self- 
denial  are  budding  in  every  life,  only  waiting  our  per- 
mission to  open  and  fill  each  one  with  fragrance.  His 
face  may  be  lost,  his  presence  gone,  his  form  laid  by  to 
rest,  but  ever  as  paths  of  self-denial  and  holiness  open 
before  us  we  will  hear  his  voice  behind  us  saying, 
‘ This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it.’ 

“A.  H.  H.  Henderson,  M.D.” 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Introduction  to  the  Mission  Field  of  Korea. 

“ Happy,  thrice  happy,  everyone 

Who  sees  his  labor  well  begun.” — Longfellow. 

Walk  of  twenty-five  miles  from  the  port  to  the  capital — Superin- 
tendent Appenzeller  measures  the  new  missionary  by  three  es- 
sential standards — Advises  a country  trip — Appointed  to  Pyong 
Yang — A grand  beginning — Rev.  Jones’s  description  of  that 
first  trip  into  the  interior — Witnessing  heathen  worship — First 
experiences  in  a Korean  inn — Began  missionary  work  at  Ko- 
Yang — A Sunday  in  a snowstorm  at  Songdo — The  kind  host 
at  Chin  Tan — A bitter  cold  journey — A week  of  medical  and 
evangelistic  work  in  Pyong  Yang — Another  of  work  in  Wi-ju 
— Unflinching  endurance  of  liardship — Capacity  to  make  the 
most  of  things — Tenacity  of  purpose — An  amusing  outcome. 

Dr.  Hall’s  Entrance  upon  Mission  Work  in  Korea. 

Dr.  Hall  arrived  in  Korea  in  December,  1891,  and 
was  heartily  welcomed  by  the  Mission.  I well  remem- 
ber when  he  came  to  my  liouse  on  a Thursday  evening, 
after  a walk  of  twenty-five  miles  from  Chemulpo. 
Brother  Jones,  of  our  Mission,  went  down  to  the  port  to 
meet  him.  When  they  were  ready  to  start  for  the  capi- 
tal, with  that  perversity  sometimes  met  with  in  other 
countries  besides  Korea,  for  some  reason  I do  not  now 
recollect  there  was  only  one  horse  for  the  two  men  to 
ride  on.  We  know  that  the  pioneer  Methodist  preacher 
to  New  England,  Jesse  Lee,  because  of  his  avoirdupois, 
was  compelled  to  travel  with  two  horses  and  to  change 
off.  Had  two  horses  by  some  happy  accident  been  sup- 
plied for  Dr.  Hall  to  ride  on  to  Soul,  it  would  have 


21 


been  more  appropriate  than  for  these  two  brethren  to 
ride  one  horse.  Notwithstanding  the  protestations  of 
Brother  Jones,  Dr.  Hall  insisted  upon  walking  all  the 
way  to  Soul.  When  I welcomed  him  >there  to  the 
Mission  and  to  Korea  there  was  a warm  response  in  the 
hearty  “ Amen  ” and  the  grasp  of  the  hand. 

A few  days  later  we  counseled  together  as  to  the 
work  to  be  assigned  the  new  missionary.  A few  things  \ 
are  absolutely  essential  in  order  to  be  a successful  mis-  ) 
sionary.  They  may  be  repeated  here,  for  I think  that 
Dr.  Hall  possessed  these  in  an  eminent  degree. 

1.  Deep  spirituality.  Great  faith  in  God.  Implicit 
confidence  in  the  Bible  as  the  inspired  word  of  God.  ' 
Personal  knowledge  of  sins  forgiven.  There  must  be 
welling  up  from  his  inmost  soul  a mighty,  a glorious,  feel- 
ing that  God’s  Spirit  bears  witness  with  his  spirit,  and 
that  he  is  an  heir  of  God  and  joint  heir  with  Christ. 

“ What  we  have  felt  and  seen 
With  confidence  we  tell  ; 

And  publish  to  the  sons  of  men 
The  signs  infallible.” 

Nothing  can  take  the  place  of  this  experience.  The 
missionary  must  know  that  he  has  “ religion.”  It  was 
not  necessary  for  one  to  be  long  in  the  presence  of  Dr. 
Halloo  find  out  that  he  was  not  only  thoroughly 
grounded  in  the  faith,  but  that  he  had  a deep,  warm, 
joyous  Christian  experience.  In  prayer  he  was  fervent ; 
in  singing,  hearty;  in  experience,  clear. 

2.  Aptitude  for  language.  The  difficulties  in  the  *\ 
acquisition  of  a new  language  can  only  be  properly  / 
appreciated  by  those  who  have  spent  years  of  hard  labor 
in  their  efforts  to  acquire  it.  The  words,  the  thought, 
the  construction  of  the  sentences  are  all  different  from 
his  own.  The  missionary  not  only  enters  a new  country 

IG 


122 


with  strange  habits  and  customs,  but  the  thoughts,  the 
ways  of  thinking,  and  the  matter  thought  about,  are  all 
equally  new  and  strange.  He  is  bewildered.  He  has 
truth  he  wishes  to  impart,  a message  he  is  anxious  to 
deliver  ; but  he  has  no  means  of  communication  until  he 
has  acquired  the  language,  in  some  part,  at  least.  Dr. 
Hall  was  not  preeminently  successful  in  this  respect. 
Like  Savonarola  he  was  essentially  a man  of  action. 
He  did  not  care  much  for  the  desk.  If  he  burned  the 
midnight  oil  it  was  not  in  extracting  a root  of  a verb, 
^ but  in  relieving  the  pains  and  groanings  of  the  sick  and 
I dying.  He  was  an  early  riser,  but  the  multitudinous 
endings  of  the  Korean  verb  “ to  be  ” did  not  disturb 
his  slumbers  so  much  as  the  desire  to  spend  the  first 
part  of  the  day  in  earnest  study  of  the  word  of  God 
and  prayer.  He  studied  at  the  language,  he  worked 
hard  here,  as  at  everything  else,  but  his  progress  was 
slow,  and,  though  I never  heard  him  say  so,  could  not 
but  have  been  unsatisfactory  to  himself. 

I 3.  The  missionary  must  be  a man  of  sound  judgment, 

' good  common  sense,  and  not  afraid  of  hard  work. 
Measured  by  this  standard,  Dr.  Hall  came  up  to  the 
full  measure.  Before  my  departure  on  furlough  to  the 
United  States,  I had  not  had  much  opportunity  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  him  other  than  to  recognize  in  him 
an  earnest  worker.  But  after  my  return,  in  the  summer  of 
1893, 1 was  more  intimately  associated  with  him  in  impor- 
tant work,  and  I soon  began  to  rely  on  his  good  judgment. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  I suggested  to  him  to  make 
a trip  to  Wi-ju.  His  answer  was  prompt,  and  in  less 
than  three  months  after  his  arrival  in  Korea,  in  com- 
pany with  Brother  Jones,  he  was  off  on  a country  trip 
of  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  the  north. 

In  his  report  to  the  Annual  Meeting  in  August,  1892, 


123 


Dr.  Hall  strongly  recommended  opening  mission  work 
in  Pyong  Yang,  the  principal  city  in  the  northern  in- 
terior, which  I myself  had  visited  several  times  since 
1887,  but  where  as  yet  no  mission  had  a foothold. 

Bishop  Mallalieu  promptly  appointed  Dr.  Hall  to  this 
new  field.  Immediately  at  the  close  of  the  Annual 
Meeting  the  doctor  again  visited  Pyong  Yang,  and  en- 
tered upon  his  work  there  with  great  enthusiasm. 

Not  only  did  he  give  his  whole  time  to  this  work,  but 
he  planned  for  its  permanency  by  presenting  its  claims 
to  his  friends,  and  raising  a fund  for  it,  which,  sub- 
scribed to  generously  by  himself  and  devoted  wife, 
through  his  faithful  representations,  received  dona- 
tions from  British,  American,  German,  and  even  Chinese 
friends.  It  became  sufficient  so  that  as  early  as  April 
I,  1-893,  purchase  two  fine  sites — one 

known  as  the  “Tree  House,”  and  the  other  as  the 
“ West  Gate  ” property.  Bishop  IVIallalieu’s  own  great 
interest  in  Dr.  Hall’s  project  at  Pyong  Yang  is  shown  in 
the  following  letter,  which  greatly  encouraged  the  doc- 
tor’s heart  : 

“ Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  August  22,  1893. 

“ My  Dear  Doctor  : I write  you  to  say  that  I have 
succeeded  in  raising  S350  (gold),  to  help  the  Pyong 
Yang  work.  As  I understand  the  case,  you  put  in  $350, 
the  Missionary  Society  $350,  and  I have  raised  this 
$350.  My  thought  has  been  that  this  would  enable 
you  to  pay  for  the  property  and  still  have  $350  to  fit 
it  up  and  make  such  improvements  as  would  help 
make  you  comfortable.  You  can  draw  on  Dr.  S.  Hunt 
at  any  time  for  the  ^35°  which  I have  raised. 

“ My  kindest  regards  to  you  and  to  all  the  friends,  and 
especially  to  your  wife. 

“Truly  yours. 


W.  F.  Mallalieu.” 


24 


He  administered  his  “ Pyong  Yang  Fund”  with  the 
greatest  care,  and  after  making  repairs,  carrying  on  for 
over  a year  the  first  Christian  school  in  Pyong  Yang, 
and  opening  regular  medical  and  evangelistic  work, 
there  was  left  at  the  time  of  his  death  over  six  hundred 
yen.  At  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Mission,  held  in 
January,  1895,  by  the  request  of  Mrs.  Hall,  this  fund 
was  carefully  set  aside,  to  be  devoted  toward  the  erec- 
tion of  a building  to  be  known  as  “The  Hall  Memorial 
Hospital.”  While  writing  these  lines  I am  on  my  way, 
in  company  with  Edward  Douglas  Follwell,  M.D.,  Dr. 
Hall’s  successor,  to  begin  this  pious  and,  to  me,  ex- 
ceedingly pleasant  work.  The  work  he  commenced  in 
Pyong  Yang  will  be  continued.  We  who  remain  will 
lay  the  foundations,  and  build  that  for  which,  in  the 
short  time  he  was  with  us,  he  made  so  much  prepara- 
tion. 

In  the  three  short  years  Dr.  Hall  spent  with  us  he 
made  a grand  beginning,  which  promised  great  things. 
His  sun  went  down  while  it  was  yet  day;  but  the  work 
for  which  he  lived,  and  for  which  he  died,  will  go  on. 
We  feel  his  absence.  We  long  for  the  hearty  welcome. 
We  miss  the  warm  grasp,  but  the  inspiration  of  his  life, 
his  devotion,  will  remain  as  ointment  poured  forth. 

H.  G.  Appenzeller. 

Soul,  Korea,  May  5,  1895. 

The  First  Trip  into  the  Interior. 

“There  is  a divinity  that  shapes  our  ends,  rough-hew 
them  how  we  will.”  Such  was  the  experience  of  Dr.  Hall 
and  myself,  only  the  divinities  in  our  case  were  mortal, 
the  future  Mesdames  Hall  and  Jones.  It  was  the  plan 
of  our  future  wives,  then  workers  under  the  Woman’s 
Foreign  Missionary  Society,  that  Dr.  Hall  and  I should 


125 


unite  our  forces  until  some  other  unification  became 
proper,  and  this  was  strictly  adhered  to.  Dr.  Hall 
arrived  in  Korea  in  December,  1891,  and  he  and  I went 
to  housekeeping  together.  I had  planned  to  make  an 
extended  trip  in  the  spring  of  1892,  and  invited  Dr. 
Hall  to  accompany  me.  This  greatly  pleased  him, 
and  we  arranged  that  he  should  go  as  far  as  Wi-ju  with 
me. 

We  left  Soul  in  the  afternoon  of  March  2,  1892.  It 
was  a beautiful  day,  though  windy  and  cold.  The  sun 
was  bright  and  the  road  dry,  and  we  felt  in  high  spirits. 
Our  party  consisted  of  Brother  Han,  Korean  helper  in 
the  hospital,  and  a couple  of  stranded  Koreans  from 
Wi-ju,  the  state  of  whose  exchequer  led  them  to  look 
upon  the  journey  of  two  foreigners  to  their  native  city 
at  that  time  as  a special  dispensation  of  Providence. 

Our  intentions  were  that  the  trip  should  be  largely  a 
pedestrian  one,  though  we  had  our  packs  so  arranged 
on  the  horses  that,  when  tired,  we  could  mount  and  ride. 
So  we  started  in  to  walk,  chatting  away  and  enjoying 
the  sights  of  the  north  approaches  to  the  Soul  of 
Chosen.  Just  beyond  the  “Peking  Pass”  music  (.^)  at- 
tracted us  to  the  shrine  which  had  been  erected  to  the 
deities  of  the  metropolis,  and  as  the  doctor  looked  in 
on  the  painted  and  brutish  gods  and  the  mummeries 
of  worship,  sadness  struggled  with  interest  upon 
his  face,  and  we  both  of  us  turned  away  with  audi- 
ble protestations  that  the  people  of  the  land  of  our 
adoption  should  not  remain  in  such  darkness  if  we 
could  find  a way  to  enlighten  them. 

Having  sent  our  pack  horses  on  ahead,  we  plodded 
on,  hoping  to  catch  up  with  them.  But,  of  course,  we 
didn’t.  We  intended  to  walk  on  the  trip;  but  before 
we  caught  up  with  the  train  we  concluded  that  there 


26 


was  a conspiracy  to  make  us  walk  enough  the  first  day 
for  the  entire  trip.  At  last,  after  a weary  tramp  of 
seven  miles,  we  found  our  baggage  put  up  for  the  night 
at  a small  hostelry  on  the  confines  of  the  Metropolitan 
prefecture.  Here  we  found  quarters  secured  in  advance 
for  us,  which  were  so  cramped  the  doctor  had  to  sit 
with  his  feet  out  the  door,  and  so  dirty  you  might  have 
thought  it  was  in  Cholla-do  somewhere.  This  inn  was 
presided  over  by  a woman  who  was  a sight  to  behold, 
and  a sound  to  charm  a swarm  of  bees  with.  We 
managed  to  get  some  supper  and  turned  in  for  the 
night.  And  the  last  remark  was  a murmur  from  the 
doctor  : “ Say,  Brother  Jones,  doesn’t  it  occur  to  you 
that  there  is  a noticeable  difference  between  a stone 
floor  and  a feather  bed  as  a sleeping  appurtenance  1 ” 

And  thus  we  roughed  it  together.  The  next  day  was 
dismal  beyond  description.  We  traveled  on  through  a 
drizzling  rain,  plunging  along  roads  ankle  deep  with 
mud,  chilled  with  the  rain  and  the  cold,  but  happy  and 
light-hearted,  the  doctor’s  lusty  voice  shouting  out  the 
songs  of  Zion  until  the  echoes  awoke  and  the  Koreans 
listened  in  astonishment,  and  a stray  dog  fled  like  mad 
across  the  fields,  nor  ever  stopped  till  he  jarred  his  back- 
bone against  the  top  of  the  hole  in  the  door  of  his  own- 
er’s house. 

We  began  our  missionary  work  at  Ko-Yang,  fifteen 
miles  out  from  Soul.  Here  at  an  inn,  but  a slight  im- 
provement on  the  one  at  which  we  had  spent  the  pre- 
vious night,  we  opened  our  packs  ; some  books  were 
sold,  and  then  the  news  of  foreign  medicine  brought 
some  patients,  and  to  the  intense  joy  of  the  doctor,  he 
did  his  first  work  in  the  interior.  It  was  then  I dis- 
covered how  real  was  my  sainted  companion’s  mission- 
ary spirit,  for  the  simple  administration  of  physical 


12/ 


relief  to  these  suffering  country  people  gave  him  intense 
joy.  The  administration  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  our 
callers  fell  to  me,  and  God  gave  us  a most  cheering  and 
hope-inspiring  experience  in  that  misnamed  magisterial 
town  of  Ko-Yang.* 

Reaching  the  magistracy  of  Pa-jii,  we  climbed  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  crowned  by  the  colossi,  those  relics  of 
the  palmy  days  of  Buddhism.  But  we  were  more  in- 
terested in  the  sight  of  the  tops  of  Puk-han,  twenty  miles 
to  the  south  of  us.  A few  minutes  of  rest,  a few  ten- 
der thoughts  of  our  friends  just  beyond  the  three  tow- 
ering crowns  so  plainly  visible,  and  then  we  swung 
ourselves  down  the  mountain  and  turned  our  faces  per- 
manently northward. 

We  arrived  in  Songdo  early  on  Saturday,  and  put  up 
at  an  inn  where  previously  I had  been  kindly  treated. 
The  weather  was  very  cold  ; the  sky  became  overcast 
with  gray  clouds,  and  finally  a heavy  snowstorm  set 
in.  And  our  welcome  at  the  inn  harmonized  with  the 
elements  without.  Everything  and  everybody  was 
either  frozen  or  freezing.  They  gave  us  nothing  to  eat, 
and  no  fire  to  warm  our  room.  We  had  only  two  meals 
on  Sunday,  and  in  the  afternoon  were  driven  to  violent 
exercise  to  keep  warm.  We  went  for  a walk  about  the 
city  in  a snowstorm,  and  after  a while  found  ourselves 
where,  through  a deep  cut  in  a low  ridge  of  hills,  we 
caught  a view  of  a vast  amphitheater  in  which  had  once 
stood  the  palaces  of  the  mighty  Wang  dynasty.  Five  j 
hundred  years  of  neglect  had  done  much  to  obliterate  I 
all  traces  of  that  once  powerful  family,  and  little  but 

* Rev.  Dr.  C.  F.  Reid,  superintendent  of  the  mission  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South,  baptized  twenty-seven  persons  at  Ko-Yang  on  Sunday, 
May  2,  1897.  This  is  a good  beginning  for  this  mission,  which  is  hardly  a year 
and  a half  old.  The  chapel  was  the  gift  of  a Korean  from  Soul,  but  the  cost  of 
repairs  on  it  was  met  by  the  Koreans  of  the  place. — The  Korean  Repository. 


28 


the  site  is  left.  We  paused  a moment  and  looked  over 
the  deserted  gardens,  now  barren,  bleak,  and  desolate, 
and  as  we  looked  the  storm  seemed  to  increase  in  vio- 
lence and  drove  the  sifting  snow  in  wild  whirls  and 
gusts  about  the  amphitheater.  Amid  such  scenes  as 
this,  in  this  city  where  everything  seemed  out  of  touch 
with  us  and  our  object,  we  prepared  our  hearts  and  did 
such  work  as  we  could.  We  managed  to  gather  a few 
people  in  our  cold  room  in  the  inn,  and  together  preached 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  Neither  weather  nor 
a “weathery”  frame  of  mind  produced  any  depressing- 
influence  on  my  sainted  brother  and  colleague. 

From  Songdo  our  experiences  changed  a little  for 
the  better.  The  weather  improved  and  opportunities 
sprung  up  every  three  or  four  miles  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel and  administer  relief  to  the  sick.  Failing  to  reach 
So-heung,  we  put  up  for  the  night  at  Chin  Tan  Mak,  and 
here  our  host  vacated  his  own  apartments  and  sur- 
rendered them  to  us,  leaving  his  cash  box  unlocked 
even  in  our  room. 

Passing  Pong  Son,  we  descended  through  the  Tong-sol- 
ryong  to  the  great  plain  which  stretches  to  the  banks  of 
the  Tai-dong.  At  this  point  we  met  the  severest  hardship 
of  the  entire  trip.  It  turned  off  bitter  cold  with  a high 
wind.  Against  this  wind  we  forced  our  way,  finally 
reaching  Whang-ju,  where  we  put  up  for  the  Sabbath. 
Monday  morning  we  started  out  with  that  terrible  north- 
west gale  still  in  our  faces.  At  first  we  were  light- 
hearted and  courageous  in  spite  of  it,  feeling  quite  gay 
as  together  we  put  our  faces  down  and  defied  it.  But 
it  kept  on  blowing,  steady,  keen,  bitter  cold,  biting  our 
faces  and  hands  whenever  exposed,  forcing  its  way  inside 
our  wraps,  numbing  us  so  that  we  were  driven  to  walk  to 
keep  from  freezing,  and  unable,  even  with  that  exercise. 


29 


to  keep  warm.  Several  times  in  that  dreary  march  we 
struck  small  hamlets,  shivering  in  the  gale,  and  as  we 
entered  them  there  was  a general  dash  of  everyone  for 
sheltered  corners  and  such  open  rooms  as  we  could  get 
into.  Both  the  doctor  and  myself  suffered  intensely. 
Our  feet  became  sore  with  the  walking,  and  yet  we  did 
not  dare  take  to  the  horses  for  fear  of  freezing.  Thus 
we  struggled  on  over  thirty  miles,  and  finally  reached 
the  welcome  banks  of  the  Tai-dong.  The  river  was 
frozen  two  feet  thick,  and  on  this  carpet  of  ice  we  crossed 
into  the  great  city  of  Pyong  Yang,  and  Doctor  Hall  was 
for  the  first  time  on  the  field  for  which  he  was  to  give 
his  life. 

We  reached  Pyong  Yang  March  14,  1892,  and  found  - 
quarters  in  the  home  of  a most  amiable  old  gentleman,  • 
who  enjoyed  some  local  distinction  from  the  fact  that 
his  daughter  had  become  the  concubine  of  the  all-pow- 
erful head  of  the  great  Min  Clan.  Pyong  Yang  was 
-then  large,  prosperous,  and  enterprising;  a great  over- 
grown city,  unclean  physically,  mentally,  and  morally, 
internally  and  externally,  and  noted  for  its  rough, 
ragged,  rabid  mobs.  Its  population  was  then  roughly  ' 
100,000,  a people  proud  of  the  hoary  age  and  wicked-  i 
ness  of  their  town.  What  a history  it  had  seen  ! And  ' 
as  we  visited  together  the  relics  of  the  past  we  talked  of 
the  historic  inheritance  of  Korea.  We  drank  from  the 
well  of  Ki-ja,  dug  by  that  sage  king  1,100  years  before 
our  era,  800  years  before  Alexander  conquered  the 
world,  500  years  before  Confucius  taught,  400  years  be- 
fore Isaiah  prophesied,  100  years  before  King  David 
sang,  and  thus  by  a draught  of  water  we  were  carried 
back  to  the  days  when  Egypt  was  in  her  glory,  Greece 
occupied  by  rude  savage  tribes,  and  Rome  still  400 
years  in  the  distance. 


17 


130 


But  from  morn  till  night  we  were  besieged  bv  visit- 
ors, and  to  one  and  all  we  preached  the  truth,  cared  for 
the  sick,  and  spent  a busy,  happy  week.  Our  Korean 
brethren  had  an  exciting  time.  Opening  a book  coun- 
( ter  in  an  accommodating  store,  in  one  day  they  sold 
I eighty  Christian  books.  This  brought  down  an  edict 
from  the  governor  of  the  province  prohibiting  the 
sale.  But  this  didn’t  worry  us  much,  and  we  kept  right 
on  selling.  We  attempted  to  organize  a class  for  in- 
struction, but  it  proved  abortive,  for  as  soon  as  we  left 
the  men  that  joined  disappeared.  In  the  five  days  that 
we  were  there  we  accomplished  our  object,  and  left 
sufficient  social  dynamite  in  the  form  of  over  one  hun- 
dred volumes  of  Christian  books  to  effect  the  moral  re- 
generation of  that  wicked  city. 

The  following  week  was  spent  in  busy  work  of  a 
pioneer  character  on  the  road  from  Pyong  Vang  to 
Wi-ju.  We  reached  the  latter  place  Monday,  March 
28,  1892,  after  an  absence  from  Soul  of  twenty-six  days. 
Here,  for  over  one  week.  Dr.  Hall  remained  with  me, 
busy  with  medical  work,  and  then  he  took  the  same  road 
we  had  come  back  to  Soul,  while  I plunged  into  the 
wild  mountains  amid  the  wilder  people  to  the  north  of 
the  great  Soul-Peking  turnpike. 

In  addition  to  the  many  amiable  qualities  of  my 
sainted  colleague,  which  will  occur  readily  to  the  mind 
of  all  who  knew  him,  such  as  his  good  nature,  affection- 
ate disposition,  hearty  good  fellowship,  and  cheerful, 
courageous  spirit,  I was  impressed  with  several  things 
which  go  to  make  up  the  ideal  missionary.  First,  he  was 
unflinching  in  enduring  hardship  on  that  trying  trip  ; he 
never  flinched  once  at  Songdo,  or  in  that  terrible  gale 
on  the  plain,  nor  during  the  long  hours  and  trying  ex- 
periences of  the  Pyong  Yang,  An-ju,  and  Wi-ju. 


31 


Then  he  showed  an  inventive  capacity  to  make  the 
most  out  of  everything  at  his  command.  He  seemed 
willing  to  attempt  to  mend  anything,  from  a broken 
bottle  to  a dissevered  jugular.  This  showed  itself  in 
his  improvement  of  our  larder.  He  was  all  the  lime 
poking  about  the  markets  in  the  towns  we  visited,  and 
generally  came  back  with  something  to  vary  our  dimin- 
ishing bill  of  fare.  One  day  in  Wi-ju,  returning  in 
triumph  from  a trip  in  town  with  a bowl  of  raw  oysters, 
such  a fry  as  we  had  ! When  we  started  out  Dr.  Hall 
was  all  enthusiasm  to  eat  straight  native  diet,  and  though 
at  first  I tried  to  argue  him  from  it,  he  stuck  to  his  pur- 
pose like  a hero,  eating  two  meals  a day  of  Korean  food 
and  one  meal  of  our  stuff;  and  more  than  once,  when 
the  dish  was  particularly  fragrant  or  the  flavor  accen- 
tuated, I have  watched  him  twist  his  face  into  a broad, 
happy  smile.  This  continued  until  one  day,  after  we  had 
been  out  about  three  weeks, he  had  found  the  soup  at  the 
inn  a suspicious  mystery.  After  the  meal  we  ‘strolled 
into  the  yard,  and  noticing  some  hides  drying  on  the 
roof,  I asked  the  innkeeper  what  they  were,  and  he 
said,  “ Dogs’  hides.”  I then  asked  what  had  become  of 
the  dogs,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had  served  the  last  of 
the  last  one  to  my  companion  as  soup.  This  I faith- 
fully translated  to  the  doctor,  and  it  proved  too  much 
for  him.  He  swore  off  native  food  for  several  days. 

Dr.  Hall  appeared  in  one  of  his  loveliest  aspects  by 
his  faithful  devotion  to  his  calling.  As  a medical  mis- 
sionary he  was  never  too  tired  to  go  and  see  a sick 
Korean,  and  no  home  was  too  far  away  to  be  visited. 
He  held  nobly  to  his  work,  and  “ no  changes  of  seasons 
or  place  made  any  change  in  his  mind.” 

Geo.  Heber  Jones. 

Utica,  N.  Y.,  August  lo,  1896. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Various  Topics  of  Korean  Life  and  Customs. 

“ Vet  I doubt  not  through  the  ages  one  increasing  purpose  runs, 
And  the  thoughts  of  men  are  widened  with  the  process  of  the  suns." 

— Tennyson. 


The  Korean  bride — The  Korean  New  Year — A New  Year’s  stoiy, 
translated  from  the  Korean — The  Korean  pon^^ — The  Korean 
cooly — The  Korean  power  shovel — Glimpses  of  medical 
work  in  Korea — The  native  doctor  in  Korea — The  status 
of  woman  • in  Korea — Esther  Kim  Pak — Two  Korean  fables 
— Hats  in  Korea — A testimonial — Mission  work  for  Korean 
women. 

The  Korean  Bride. 

By  Margaret  Bengel  Jones,  ik  Korean  Repository. 

The  life  of  a nation  is  but  an  expanded  expression  of 
the  life  lived  b)^each  individual  member  of  that  nation. 
The  true  life  of  each  individual  finds  its  best  and  most 
genuine  expression  in  its  home  life,  and  home  life  always 
centers  around  the  wife  and  mother.  Any  estimate  of 
a people’s  condition  which  fails  to  give  proper  weight 
to  the  treatment  it  accords  its  women  is  therefore  nec- 
essarily imperfect.  It  is  our  purpose  in  what  follows  to 
exhibit  the  ordinary  experiences  of  a Korean  woman 
from  the  time  she  enters  womanhood  by  marriage. 

The  wedding  festivities  are  over  and  the  bride  is  on 
the  way  to  her  new  home.  While  she  is  being  borne 
there  slowly  on  the  shoulders  of  sturdy  Koreans,  or,  it 
may  be,  on  the  back  of  a sturdier  ox,  should  she 
be  a country  bride,  let  us  precede  her  and  take  a peep 
into  the  home  in  which  slie  is  to  spend  her  life.  As 


33 


the  wife  of  a wealthy  Korean  of  rank,  her  home  in  Soul 
will  be  large  and  pretentious.  Instead  of  an  alley 
three  feet  wide,  one  six  feet  wide  leads  up  to  the  front 
gate.  Just  inside  of  this  gate  we  find  a courtyard, 
on  two  sides  of  which  extend  the  hang  nang,  or 
apartments  occupied  by  the  servants  and  hangers-on 
of  the  house.  In  the  middle  of  this  courtyard  is  a 
large  well  with  washing  stones  about  it,  and  the  prin- 
cipal drain  of  the  establishment  running  close  by.  Be- 
yond this  lies  another  courtyard  bounded  on  the 
farther  end  by  the  house  itself.  This  house  is  quad- 
rangular in  shape,  inclosing  an  open  court.  Its  chief 
constituents  are  mud,  stone,  tile,  and  wood.  There  is 
no  glass  in  the  windows,  its  place  being  taken  by  paper. 
Instead  of  carpets  there  are  straw  mats,  and  in  the  place 
of  chairs,  nothing — we  sit  on  the  floor.  The  rooms 
facing  the  front  court  are  the  apartments  of  her  hus- 
band. From  these  she  is  excluded,  for  here  he  re- 
ceives his  friends  and  transacts  his  business,  which  is 
chiefly  smoking  a long  pipe  and  gossiping  with  his 
neighbors.  Beyond  these,  on  the  farther  side  of  the 
quadrangle  and  facing  the  inclosed  court,  are  her 
apartments,  the  an-pang.  The  two  sides  of  the  quad- 
rangle are  also  open  to  her,  being  occupied  by  the 
women  of  the  household.  In  this  house  the  distinc- 
tions of  dining  room,  bedroom,  sitting  room,  and  par- 
lor are  unknown,  for  any  room  may  answer  all  these 
purposes.  There  is  always  a kitchen,  the  floor  of  which 
is  the  bare  earth,  and  the  walls  unpapered  mud.  Of 
kitchen  utensils  there  are  few,  the  principal  ones  being 
the  rice  kettles,  which  are  firmly  imbedded  in  rude 
masonry,  beneath  which  are  fireplaces  connecting  with 
the  flues,  which  underlie  the  floors  of  the  other  rooms 
and  heat  the  house.  The  other  rooms  contain  a pro- 


134 


fusion  of  native -furniture,  beautiful  changs,  or  chests 
with  brass  or  iron  trimmings,  boxes  of  various  sizes  and 
pretty  screens.  On  tlie  walls  hang  bright  banners 
inscribed  with  mottoes  or  quotations  from  classical 
poetry. 

Our  description  of  the  household  would  be  incom- 
plete were  we  to  omit  the  provisions  made  for  the  re- 
ligious observances  of  the  family.  In  a special  room, 
generally  kept  closed,  is  the  paraphernalia  used  by  her 
husband  in  the  worship  of  his  ancestors,  but  with  this 
she  has  little  to  do.  In  the  entrance  to  the  court  hangs 
the  Kdl-lip,  god  of  luck.  To  the  main  beam  of  the 
house  is  tied  the  Song-ju,  major-domo.  Just  outside 
her  window  at  the  back  of  the  house  stands  the  To-ju^ 
god  of  the  site,  while  in  various  nooks  and  corners 
absurd  fetiches  wait  to  be  honored.  The  women  of 
the  household  perform  the  services  rendered  these 
beings. 

All  this,  as  above  noted,  belongs  to  the  privileged 
few,  the  ranks  of  wealth.  In  describing  the  home  of 
the  ordinary  woman  we  must  omit  the  hang  nang, 
the  front  court  with  its  well,  etc.,  tlie  inner  court,  at 
least  one  side  of  the  house  and,  it  may  be,  the  right 
angle  of  it,  the  pretty  furniture  and  screens,  and  reduce 
the  furnishings  to  the  barest  necessities  of  the  simplest 
kind  of  living.  Instead  of  a tiled  roof  we  find  a 
thatched  roof.  There  is,  however,  the  inevitable  inside 
court,  the  bride’s  own  little  world  of  nature,  with  a 
patch  of  blue  sky  above,  and  saucy  sparrows  as  visitants 
from  the  great  outside  world.  These  are  the  mechan- 
ical elements  of  the  mold  in  which  the  Korean  woman 
is  formed.  Amid  these  she  grows  up  to  maturity  and 
old  age,  and  they  must  have  an  influence  upon  her 
mental  and  moral  character. 


135 


When  the  bride  comes  to  her  new  home  she  does  not 
find  it  empty,  neither  does  she  become  mistress  of  it. 
She  is  received  by  her  mother-in-law,  and  now  becomes 
a member  of  her  husband’s  family  and  his  clan,  losing 
all  connection  with  her  father’s  family  and  his  clan. 
Being  a mere  child,  in  most  cases  she  is  treated  as  such, 
and  is  expected  to  wait  upon  the  mother-in-law  and  do 
her  bidding.  If  there  are  servants  in  the  home  she  is 
relieved  from  the  household  duties,  but  in  the  middle 
and  lower  classes  servants  are  not  found  in  many  of 
the  homes,  and  the  bride  comes  in  to  do  her  full  share 
of  the  work.  She  must  arise  early  in  the  morning  both 
in  winter  and  summer,  build  the  fire  under  the  rice 
kettles  regardless  of  the  smoke  and  ashes  which  fill  her 
eyes,  and  prepare  breakfast  for  the  family.  After  all 
the  other  members  have  finished  eating  she  sits  down 
and  eats  her  breakfast  alone.  Yet,  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  she  is  relieved  from  the  unpleasant  task  of  doing 
the  family  washing  by  her  mother-in-law,  being  prohib- 
ited by  her  youth  from  going  out  to  the  springs  on  the 
hillside,  where  washing  is  usually  done.  In  the  evening 
she  goes  through  the  same  ordeal  of  preparing  the 
evening,  meal,  for  the  Koreans  eat  but  two  meals  a day. 
After  the  day’s  work  she  goes  to  her  room,  and  until 
the  wee  hours  of  morning  is  busy  with  her  needle, 
mending  stockings,  making  new  garments,  or,  to  the 
rat-tat-tat  of  her  ironing  sticks,  polishing  her  husband’s 
best  coat. 

The  love  and  sympathy  which  a young  wife  of  Chris- 
tian countries  finds  in  the  companionship  of  her  hus- 
band is  unknown  in  Korea.  Instead  of  spending  his 
evenings  with  her  in  pleasant  conversation  of  the  things 
which  transpire  in  the  outside  world,  or  in  reading  to 
her  while  she  sews,  the  husband  spends  his  time  with  his 


136 


friends,  and  she  sees  little  of  him  and  knows  less  of  his 
life.  This  treatment  of  his  wife  is  forced  upon  the  hus- 
band. Were  he  to  show  any  affection  for  her  or  prefer 
her  company  to  that  of  his  friends,  they  would  make 
his  life  miserable  by  ridicule.  The  bride  also  has  her 
noncompanionable  obligations.  According  to  custom 
she  must  not  speak  to  her  husband  for  the  first  few 
days  after  their  marriage.  The  Koreans  tell  of  one  case 
where  the  wife  did  not  speak  to  her  husband  for  eight 
months.  Perhaps  he  was  away  from  home,  but  the 
Korean  did  not  mention  that  fact. 

Sewing  occupies  a great  part  of  the  Korean  woman’s 
time.  If  she  is  diligent  and  sews  nicely,  all  well  and 
good ; if  not,  she  will  incur  the  displeasure  of  her 
mother-in-law  and  woe  be  unto  her.  Who  has  not 
heard  of  the  cruelties  of  the  mother-in-law  in  Korea? 
Her  power  for  good  or  evil  is  great.  So  deeply  have 
we  been  impressed  with  this  fact  that,  in  seeking  hus- 
bands for  the  girls  in  our  mission  schools,  we  considered 
ourselves  fortunate  in  finding  one  without  a mother. 
Koreans  themselves  have  told  us  that  much  of  the  un- 
happiness of  early  married  life  in  Korea  is  traceable  to 
the  mother-in-law.  Possessed  with  supreme  power 
over  her  son’s  wife,  should  the  young  woman  have  a 
will  of  her  own  there  is  sure  to  be  a clash  sooner  or 
later.  If  the  wife  does  not  become  submissive  the 
trouble  continues,  and  in  all  probability  she  will  be 
sent  back  to  her  home  in  disgrace,  for  one  of  the  causes 
for  which  a woman  may  be  divorced  is  incompatibility 
with  her  mother-in-law.  About  twenty-five  per  cent  of 
the  divorce  cases  in  Korea  are  caused  by  troubles  be- 
tween the  daughter  and  the  mother-in-law. 

Judging  from  the  size  of  their  homes  and  their  sim- 
ple manner  of  living  one  would  be  at  a loss  to  know 


137 


how  the  Korean  women  occupy  their  time,  but  when 
we  remember  that  the  Koreans  wear  white  clothes  both 
in  winter  and  summer,  and  that  to  launder  them  each 
garment  must  be  ripped  to  pieces,  we  can  readily  under- 
stand their  busy  and  laborious  routine  and  sympathize 
with  them.  An  occasional  visit  to  her  relatives,  if  they 
live  near,  is  the  only  relief  for  the  monotony  of  this 
daily  routine.  Were  she  able  to  read  she  might  find  a 
pleasant  variety  in  reading,  especially  now  that  we  have 
a Christian  literature  in  the  native  character.  But  the 
percentage  of  those  who  can  read  is  very  small.  Their 
ignorance,  however,  is  not  due  to  their  inability  to 
learn,  but  to  the  lack  of  opportunity  to  study.  In  my 
work  among  the  women  I have  found  a number  who 
have  learned  to  read  after  they  were  thirty  years  old, 
and  one  woman  learned  to  read  after  reaching  the  age 
of  fifty.  From  my  experience  in  the  school  I feel  con- 
vinced that  if  Korean  girls  were  given  the  same  advan- 
tages for  study  as  their  brothers  enjoy  they  would  take 
their  place  beside  them  as  their  equals  in  scholarship. 
But  she  is  only  a woman.  Why  should  she  know  any- 
thing beyond  cooking  and  sewing  ? So  say  the  Koreans. 

Viewed  from  our  standpoint  the  life  of  a Korean 
woman  seems  very  barren.  She  is  shut  off  from  the 
broadening  influences  which  contact  with  the  outside 
world  and  intercourse  with  friends  would  give  her. 
We  would  expect  to  find  them  discontented  and  un- 
happy, but  on  the  other  hand  they  certainly  appear  con- 
tented and  even  happy.  A Korean  woman’s  pride  is 
her  children,  and  as  a family  grows  up  about  her  and 
her  cares  increase  her  happiness  also  increases.  The 
appearance  of  the  first  tooth,  the  first  attempts  to  walk, 
and  the  babbling  words  of  baby  give  the  Korean  mother 
as  much  pleasure  as  it  does  the  foreign  mother.  She 
18 


BY  PER.  OF  THE  CLASSMATE. 

THE  KOREAN  MOTHER’S  PRIDE. 


139 


takes  great  delight  in  decking  her  children  in  gay  col- 
ored garments  and  providing  some  luxury  for  them  on 
the  New  Year  and  other  holidays.  She  attains  a new 
dignity.  Where  she  was  before  known  as  Mr.  So  and 
So’s  taing-noi^  “ house,”  she  becomes  the  mother  of 
such  a child.  The  name  may  be  the  most  unpoetical 
one  imaginable,  as  “The  mother  of  spotted  dog,”  “The 
mother  of  the  rock,”  “ The  mother  of  the  mud  turtle, 
the  monkey,  the  pig,”  etc.;  but  be  it  what  it  may  there 
is  always  “ the  mother  ” attached  to  it,  which  is  sweet 
to  her.  These  little  toddlers  become  her  inseparable 
companions.  Visit  her  at  any  time  of  the  day  and  you 
will  find  her  with  one  strapped  to  her  back  or  lying 
snugly  in  her  arm,  or  sprawling  on  the  floor  beside  her. 
As  the  babes  grow  up  her  troubles  begin,  and  from  what 
one  may  learn  on  acquaintance  with  the  boys  of  Korea, 
human  nature  is  certainly  the  same  the  world  over. 
They  tear  their  clothes,  soil  their  faces,  quarrel  and  get 
into  all  sorts  of  mischief.  They  involve  their  mother 
in  disputes  with  her  neighbors  and,  motherlike,  she 
always  thinks  her  boy  is  all  right  while  her  neighbor’s 
boy  is  the  greatest  rascal  on  earth. 

By  and  by  the  old  folks  in  the  home  go  the  way  of 
all  flesh,  and  the  husband  and  wife,  who  have  occupied 
a secondary  place,  become  the  heads  of  the  family  group. 
The  daughters,  just  at  the  age  when  they  could  be  most 
useful,  marry  and  leave  the  parental  roof,  and  the  sons 
bring  their  wives  into  the  home,  and  the  wife  now  occu- 
pies the  enviable  position  of  mother-in-law.  As  she 
grows  older  she  gains  greater  respect  and  consideration 
from  her  children,  for  the  Koreans  have  great  reverence 
for  old  age.  Indeed  the  last  days  of  a woman’s  life  in 
Korea  seem  to  be  her  best  days.  She  is  free  from  all 
responsibility  and  duties,  and  is  well  cared  for  by  her 


140 


children.  This  reverence  of  Koreans  for  old  age, 
whether  in  man  or  woman,  is  worthy  of  note,  and  may 
well  teach  the  boastful  West  a lesson.  No  matter  of 
what  station  in  life,  a younger  person  would  not  venture 
to  subject  her  to  any  rudeness.  While  she  may  not  com- 
mand yet  her  wishes  are  law,  at  least  to  her  posterity. 
Etiquette  demands  both  respectful  language  and  atti- 
tude in  her  presence.  This  reverence  for  the  aged  pro- 
duces practical  results.  In  walking  through  the  streets 
we  meet  on  every  hand  well  dressed  old  people,  show- 
ing evidence  of  care  and  affection.  The  greatest  sin  a 
Korean  can -commit  is  poul-hyo,  lack  of  filial  piety. 
This  is  the  one  unpardonable  sin  of  the  Korean  code.  . 

I have  attempted  to  describe  the  life  of  an  ordinary 
Korean  woman  of  the  middle  class.  Of  the  high  class 
women  I can  say  very  little.  But  their  lot  must  be  an 
unhappy  one.  In  the  first  place  the  law  of  seclusion  is 
more  binding  upon  them  than  upon  their  more  humble 
sisters.  We  are  told  of  one  case  where  a woman  had 
not  been  outside  of  her  compound  since  she  had  en- 
tered it  as  a bride  thirty  years  previous.  Then  the 
knowledge  of  the  existence  of  one  or  more  concubines 
must  rob  her  life  of  all  happiness,  for,  although  as  wife 
she  occupies  the  first  place  in  the  home,  yet  in  the  af- 
fections of  her  husband  she  is  only  secondary. 

Our  review  of  Korean  woman  would  be  incomplete* 
did  we  ignore  a new  force  which  has  been  introduced 
among  them.  Christianity  has  come  with  its  proclama- 
tion of  release  to  womankind,  and  already  the  first 
fruits  of  Korea’s  redeemed  women  may  be  seen.  Our 
girls’  schools  are  the  beginning  of  this  great  work,  which 
shall  go  on  until  woman  shall  reach  her  God-given 
sphere.  These  schools  are  object  lessons  to  the  Ko- 
reans, proving  to  them  that  their  girls  are  as  capable 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  KOREAN  BRIDE  AND  GROOM. 

for  their  husbands.  They  have  studied  about  the  dif- 
ferent countries  and  peoples  and  of  the  wonderful  things 
of  nature,  and  can  converse  with  their  husbands  upon 
other  topics  besides  those  of  a domestic  nature. 


and  worthy  of  intellectual  training  as  the  boys,  and  that 
education  does  not  unfit  them  to  become  good  wives 
and  mothers.  They  certainly  make  better  companions 


BY  PER.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  HERALD,  NEW  YORK. 


142 


Some  of  the  happy  marriages  from  our  Christian 
schools  prove  that  if  we  Christianize  the  soul  and  edu- 
cate the  mind,  the  result  will  be  happy  homes.  In  one 
of  these  homes,  where  both  husband  and  wife  are  Chris- 
tians from  our  schools  we  saw  them  studying  the  Scrip- 
tures together  ; in  another  home  the  wife  was  teaching 
her  husband,  while  in  both  there  was  love  and  happiness. 
These  homes  are  great  powers  for  good,  and  are  living 
testimonies  to  the  heathen  populace  about  them  of  the 
power  of  Christianity  to  lift  up  and  ennoble  the  life  in 
the  home. 

What  to  do  for  the  wives  and  mothers  of  to-day  is  a 
problem  which  confronts  us.  We  cannot  educate  them, 
although  in  many  cases  they  may  learn  to  read.  But 
we  can  give  them  Christianity,  which  works  such  mar- 
velous changes  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men.  As 
husband  and  wife  become  Christians  a change  is  soon 
visible  in  the  home.  The  old  fetiches  which  they  have 
worshiped  all  their  lives  are  torn  down  and  a family 
altar  established,  around  which  they  worship  the  one 
true  God.  Among  our  Christian  families  we  notice 
that  where  formerly  the  husband  ate  alone,  he  now  has 
his  wife  eat  at  the  same  table  and  out  of  the  same  dishes 
with  him.  We  have  also  seen  the  husband  and  wife 
coming  to  church  together.  I have  made  inquiries  of 
the  women  at  Chemulpo  as  to  the  change  in  their  family 
life.  “ We  don’t  quarrel  any  more  at  our  house,  and  I 
think  my  husband  loves  me  since  we  have  become 
Christians,”  says  one  woman.  “ ^ly  husband  is  a very 
different  man  now,  and  he  treats  me  much  better  than 
he  formerly  did,”  is  the  testimony  of  another  woman. 
I know  the  same  has  been  true  in  other  homes. 

To  me  there  seems  but  one  way  in  which  to  reach  the 
women  of  Korea,  and  that  is  to  visit  them  in  their 


143 


homes,  meet  them  as  their  friends  and  not  as  superiors, 
and  to  win  their  love  and  confidence.  To  show  an 
interest  in  the  things  that  interest  them,  listen  to  their 
stories  of  sorrow  and  hardships  and  sympathize  with 
them,  accomplishes  more  good  than  many  a sermon.  An 
especial  effort  should  be  made  to  reach  the  wives  and 
families  of  our  professing  Christians.  Christianity 
which  confines  itself  to  the  chapel  and  is  not  shown  in 
the  homes  is  not  worth  much.  But  Christianity  will 
make  itself  manifest  in  the  home,  and  this  will  open  the 
homes  to  us. 

Chemulpo,  Korea,  February  i,  1895. 

The  Korean  New  Year’s,  and  How  It  is  Observed 
IN  THE  Land  of  Chosen. 

Though  Japan  has  introduced  our  Western  calendar 
into  the  “ Hermit  Nation,”  and  it  has  been  used  by  the 
government  officials,  yet  the  common  people  and  offi- 
cials alike  will,  no  doubt,  join  this  year,  as  they  did 
last,  in  observing  the  old,  time-honored  ante-bellum 
holidays. 

For  nearly  three  hundred  years  Korea  has  reckoned 
time  after  essentially  the  same  system  as  that  used  in 
China.  They  use  a cycle  of  sixty  years  instead  of  the 
century,  and  each  year  is  known  by  a name  and  not  by 
a number.  This  year  is  called  Eul-mi ; it  is  the  forty- 
first  in  the  present  cycle,  and  the  calendar  is  the  same 
as  that  used  in  the  Eul-7ui  years  of  past  cycles.  Thus 
a series  of  sixty  calendars  having  once  been  prepared, 
all  that  has  to  be  done  now  is  to  reproduce  the  proper 
one  as  the  years  of  the  cycle  roll  round.  Their  months 
correspond  with  the  moon,  and  to  correct  the  difference 
between  lunar  and  solar  time  a leap  year  is  introduced 
once  in  about  three  years;  but  the  leap  year,  instead 


of  having  one  extra  day,  has  one  extra  month.  The 
present  year,  Eul-mi,  contains  thirteen  months.  It  be- 
gan, according  to  our  calendar,  January  26,  1895,  and 
will  end  February  12,  1896.  So  the  Korean  New  Year 
begins  somewhere  between  the  middle  of  January  and 
the  middle  of  February  each  year. 

There  are  many  holidays  in  Korea,  but  that  of  the 
new  year  surpasses  them  all.  It  is  really  celebrated  for 
fifteen  days.  All  who  can  afford  it  shut  up  their  shops 


KOREAN  WOMEN  IROMNG. 


or  close  their  work  for  this  whole  period  of  time,  and 
everybody,  be  they  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  must 
manage  somehow  to  come  out  in  a new  suit  of  clothes 
at  the  New  Year  time.  The  last  moon  of  the  old  year 
is  a very  busy  one  for  the  good  Korean  housewife,  for 
if,  as  it  often  happens,  the  chu-ene,  or  lord  of  the 
household,  can  afford  to  purchase  new  clothes  for  him- 
self only,  then  she  must  rip  apart  the  old  garments  for 


H5 


the  other  members  of  the  family,  send  or  take  them  to 
the  mountain  streams  to  be  washed,  then  carefully 
mend,  dye,  and  starch  them,  and,  rolling  them  very 
smoothly  around  a wooden  cylinder,  she  irons  them  by 
pounding  with  clubs  until  they  shine  like  silk  ; and 
when  they  are  made  over  this  way  Korean  garments 
appear  quite  as  well  as  new.  As  the  old  year  draws  to 
a close,  all  day  long  and  at  night  into  the  small  hours 
of  the  morning,  one  hears  the  rat-tat-tat  of  these  ironing 
sticks  all  over  the  land  of  Chosen. 

The  last  day  of  the  old  year  the  women  of  the  house- 
hold are  very  busy  preparing  much  food  for  the  offer- 
ing at  ancestral  worship  at  daybreak.  New  Year’s  morn- 
ing. Boiled  chestnuts,  meats  cooked  in  different  ways, 
native  bread,  which  resembles  the  heavy  dough  that 
we  sometimes  find  in  our  potpie,  bread  soup,  kim-che^ 
a sort  of  sauerkraut,  pepper  sauce,  and  other  kinds  of 
salty  sauces  made  of  turnips,  beans,  and  breaks,  and 
eaten  with  their  staple  article  of  diet,  boded  rice  ; dried 
persimmons,  SAveet  wine  made  of  rice  and  honey,  and 
the  ordinary  side,  fermented  wine,  are  the  dainties 
that  every  thrifty  housewife  likes  to  have  on  hand  at 
this  time.  Portions  of  these  foods  and  wines  are  ar- 
ranged in  brass  dishes  upon  the  small  Korean  tables, 
and  set  before  the  tables  that  the  ancestral  spirits  may 
regale  themselves  with  the  flavor,  the  men  of  the  house- 
hold at  the  same  time  prostrating  themselves  five  times 
before  the  ancestral  tablets  ; then  all  is  removed  to  an- 
other room,  and  forms  a part  of  the  New  Year  feast. 

The  men,  dressed  in  shining,  spotless  white  or  deli- 
cately tinted  silk,  linen,  or  cotton,  now  go  out  to  make 
their  New  Year  calls  upon  their  gentlemen  friends  or 
relatives.  They  say,  “The  old  year  has  passed  and  the 
New  Year  has  come,”  and  they  congratulate  their 
19 


46 


friends  upon  having  entered  it  safely,  and  hoi)e  they 
will  have  a peaceful  year.  If  there  are  children  in  the 
family  they  remark  how  happy  the  father  must  be  be- 
cause their  children  have  grown  a year  older.  This 
alludes  to  their  custom  of  counting  a child’s  age 
according  to  the  number  of  New  Years  he  has  seen. 
If  he  be  born  the  last  of  the  old  year,  when  the  New 
Year  comes  he  is  said  to  be  a year  old,  and  when  the 
next  New  Year’s  Day  comes  he  is  two  years  old,  although 
in  truth,  perhaps,  but  a few  days  over  one  year.  While 
making  these  calls  upon  their  gentlemen  associates, 
they  are  treated  from  the  abundance  of  food  and  wine 
each  house  has  prepared.  It  takes  so  long  to  do  any- 
thing in  Korea  that  these  calls  cannot  all  be  made  in 
one  day,  as  with  us,  but  they  spend  the  whole  two 
weeks  at  it. 

Men  often  take  their  little  sons  with  them,  and  larger 
boys  go  in  groups  together  and  call  upon  relatives  or 
intimate  friends  of  their  fathers.  These  boys  have  their 
long,  shining  black  hair  parted  in  the  middle,  gathered 
on  either  side  into  small  braids,  and  then  these  side 
braids  caught  together  with  the  back  hair  into  one  long 
braid  which,  at  the  New  Year  time,  is  always  tied  with  a 
new  purple  ribbon  stamped  in  gold  Chinese  characters, 
wishing  them  long  life  or  riches.  Korean  boys  do  not 
wear  hats  until  after  they  are  married.  Their  stockings 
and  pants  are  always  of  white  muslin,  and  at  this  time 
of  year  wadded  with  cotton  batting  to  keep  them  warm; 
so  is  also  their  jacket,  for  no  one  wears  undergarments 
in  Korea.  Boys’ jackets  are  of  the  brightest  colors; 
pink,  green,  red,  or  purple,  and  often  a fond  mother  will 
make  for  her  little  son  a jacket  of  as  many  colors  as 
Joseph’s  coat  consisted,  the  sleeves  being  pieces  of 
from  ten  to  thirteen  different  bright  colored  strips. 


147 


i 

1-I» . - 
i'/  D ^SJ 

!{a  *5n8 
uotduo 

I diqidj 
» 'G 

II  o?  • 
rji'- 

I- 


much  upon  the  plan  of  a log  cabin  block.  Thus  gaily- 
decked,  and  with  a new  pair  of  rope  shoes,  or  wooden 
rain  shoes,  according  to  the  state  of  the  roads,  the  boys 
go  and  bow  to  their  grandparents,  uncles,  and  aunts, 
and  friends  of  the  family.  Each  one  gives  the  boys  a 
few  pieces  of  “ cash,”  one  piece  being  worth  about  one 
tenth  of  a cent.  They  often  get  50  or  100  cash  in  a day 
this  way,  and  then  return  home  and  enjoy  themselves, 
telling  about  who  they  have  seen  and  counting  over 
their  money.  Some  save  their  money  to  help  their 
parents  buy  their  books  or  shoes  with,  others  spend  it 
for  candy  and  nuts  or  kites. 

The  first  thirteen  days  of  the  New  Year  is  the  time 
for  flying  kites  in  Korea,  It  seems  as  if  little  boys  and 
big  boys,  and  even  men,  have  nothing  else  to  do  all  day 
long.  One  can  scarcely  pass  along  the  streets  without 
getting  entangled  in  somebody’s  kite  strings.  The  kites 
are  made  of  thin  but  strong  paper  over  a light  frame- 
work of  bamboo  splints.  They  are  square,  with  a large 
round  hole  in  the  middle,  and  they  have  no  tails.  They 
are  generally  white,  but  often  have  one  or  two  bright 
red  or  green  spots  painted  on  them.  They  use  very 
long  and  strong  strings,  having  them  wound  upon  a sort 
of  wooden  reel.  Each  boy  tries  with  his  friends  to  see 
who  can  fly  the  kite  the  highest  ; and  they  try  to  cut  the 
other  boys’  kite  string  with  their  own,  and  then  they 
have  that  kite.  After  the  thirteenth  of  the  New  Year 
kite  flying  is  deemed  a nuisance  until  the  next  year, 
and  the  evening  of  tliat  day  each  boy  writes  down  upon 
his  kite  the  names  of  some  diseases,  and  hangs  a piece 
of  money  upon  it,  and  throws  it  away.  Some  poor  boy 
picks  it  up  for  the  money,  and  it  is  supposed  he  will 
also  get  all  the  diseases. 

Girls  cannot  fly  kites,  and  only  girls  under  seven 


BY  PER.  OF  THE  CLASSMATE.  KOREAN  KITE  FLYERS. 


149 


years  of  age  can  be  seen  upon  the  streets  at  any  time  ; 
however,  at  the  New  Year  time,  through  the  back 
courtyard,  or  somehow,  each  girl  manages  to  get  an- 
other girl  with  her.  They  cannot  go  early  like  their 
brothers,  for  it  is  said  if  a girl  or  woman  enter  another 
person’s  house  early  upon  New  Year’s  Day  it  will  bring 
bad  luck.  The  chief  amusement  of  the  girls  when  they 
meet  at  this  holiday  season  is  to  play  “see-saw”  out 
in  the  women’s  court.  Often  the  women  join  in  too, 
and  they  all  have  a gay  time.  They  do  not  sit  upon 
the  teeter,  as  American  girls  do,  but  they  stand  on 
either  end,  and  they  jump  alternately,  the  spring  of  the 
’board  giving  such  impetus  that  they  jump  very  high 
and  fast,  and  become  much  exhilarated.  The  girls 
must  have  some  way  to  get  rid  of  their  diseases,  too;  so 
they  buy  three  chyo-rongj  these  look  like  tiny  wooden 
bells  ; they  sew  these  wooden  chyo-rong  with  a piece 
of  cash  upon  one  of  the  strings  that  tie  their  jacket,  and 
wear  them  until  the  night  of  the  fourteenth  day,  when 
they  throw  them  out,  together  witli  the  cash,  to  be 
picked  up  by  boys  who,  though  they  get  the  money,  will 
bear  the  diseases. 

There  is  thought  to  be  a certain  devil  for  each  year 
of  the  cycle,  who  will  come  in  and  take  up  his  abode 
with  the  members  of  the  family  of  each  house.  To  pre- 
vent this  dolls  about  the  size  of  a baby,  and  made  alto- 
gether of  rice  straw,  are  bought,  a certain  amount  of 
money  placed  inside  the  doll  ; then,  after  staying  all 
night  near'  the  head  of  the  mat  they  sleep  on,  it  is  thrown 
away  early  in  the  morning,  and  the  devil  will  enter  into 
whatever  person  picks  it  up. 

Tai  Porain  Nal,  or  Great  Fifteenth  Day,  is  the  last  of 
the  festival.  The  evening  before  the  Koreans  bathe 
themselves  from  crown  to  toe,  then  they  dress  and 


THREE  INTIMATE  FRIENDS  FEASTING,  TAI  I’ORAM  NAL. 


spread  their  nicest  matting  out  upon  the  mountain  side 
and  bow  to  the  moon  and  stars.  The  women  buya  lot 
of  red  silk  thread  and  tie  in  their  jacket  strings  or  hang 
over  the  door  with  the  hope  that  brightness  and  hap- 
piness will  follow  them  like  a thread  all  the  year.  At 
daybreak,  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth,  sacrifice  is  again 
offered  to  the  dead.  The  Korean  housewife  will  try 
and  have  prepared  twelve  different  kinds  of  vegetable 
food,  and  many  knickknacks,  and  the  people  are  said  to 
eat  nine  times  and  to  sleep  nine  times  this  day.  There 
are  so  many  customs  for  this  last  day  of  the  New  Year 
festival  that  one  is  at  a loss  to  see  how  one  person  can 
observe  them  all.  They  buy  two  or  three  kinds  of  nuts 
and  play  a game  of  chance  with  them  ; they  seek  a for- 
tune teller,  and  telling  the  year  and  month  and  day  in 
which  they  were  born,  they  learn,  for  a small  sum  of 
money,  what  is  to  befall  them  through  the  year,  and  how 
to  avoid  ill-luck.  Farmers  climb  the  nearest  hill  toward 
night,  and  watch  anxiously  to  note  the  color  of  the  moon 
as  it  rises  above  the  horizon.  If  it  is  pale  it  is  the  sign 
of  much  rain  for  the  coming  summer,  and  consequently 
of  a good  rice  crop  ; but  if  it  be  a fiery  red  it  means  a 
great  drought  and  the  rice  a failure,  and  they  exclaim, 

Ae  ko  chuk  kacs  so!”  (“We  shall  all  die.”)  This 
evening,  also,  in  the  moonlight,  the  Koreans  “walk  the 
bridges,”  The  word  ta-re  is  used  for  both  bridge  and 
leg,  and  it  is  supposed  if  anyone  crosses  a bridge  upon 
this  day  as  many  times  as  he  is  years  old  he  will  have 
no' pains  in  his  feet  of  legs  throughout  the  year! 

Thus  we  see  that  the  character  of  even  the  New 
Year  customs  in  Korea  shows  how  much  this  people 
are  in  need  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel. 

Rosetta  Sherwood  Hall. 

Liberty,  N.  Y.,  Janiiaij  i,  1896. 


152 


A Korean  New  Year’s  Story. 

Translated  for  the  Liberty  Gazette  by  Rosetta  S.  Hall,  M.D. 

King  Chyong  Chong  was  a wise  king  in  Korea.  One 
night  he  walked  to  the  Royal  College,  where  the  schol- 
ars are.  The  time  was  the  end  of  the  year,  and  all  the 
scholars  had  gone  to  their  houses  except  two  men  who 
were  talking  to  each  other.  One  man  said,  “ The  others 
have  all  gone  to  their  houses  to  celebrate  the  New 
Year  holiday,  but  we  two  have  nowhere  to  go;  how 
pitiable  we  are.”  “Yes,”  said  the  other;  “ then  you  also 
have  no  house  and  family;  how  does  it  happen  1 ” The 
man  answered:  “I  will  tell  you  the  reason.  My  parents 
arranged  with  the  parents  of  a suitable  young  girl  that 
we  should  be  married,  but  before  the  wedding  ceremony 
could  be  celebrated,  the  bride’s  father  died,  so  we  could 
not  be  married  for  the  three  years  that  she  had  to  wear 
mourning  clothes.  Just  after  three  years  my  father 
died,  and  again  we  had  to  wait  the  three  years  of 
mourning;  then  after  that,  the  woman  who  would  have 
been  my  mother-in-law  died,  and  again  we  waited  for 
three  years;  then  my  mother  died  also,  and  we  waited 
three  years  again;  this  was  four  times  three  years  or 
twelve  years,  thus  we  were  becoming  old.  Then  the 
bride  was  taken  sick  and  was  about  to  die.  Her  brother 
came  and  said,  ‘ My  sister  is  very  sick,  and  even  though 
you  could  not  celebrate  the  ceremony  of  marriage,  you 
should  have  been  husband  and  wife,  and  you  may  go 
to  see  her.’  Therefore  I went,  but  she  died  soon  after 
she  saw  me,  and  since  then  I did  not  care  to  marry, 
consequently  I do  not  have  any  family  or  house.”  The 
other  scholar  said  : “ My  house  was  very  poor,  and  we 
were  starving  as  often  as  others  were  eating.  But  I 
went  to  every  examination,  and  my  wife  would  manage 
to  get  a handful  of  rice,  and  one  cash  worth  of  charcoal 


153 


with  which  to  boil  it,  and  she  sat  by  the  fire  pot  to  wait 
for  me.  Every  examination  she  did  so.  One  time 
when  at  last  I passed  the  examination,  I went  home 
with  delight,  and  I found  my  wife  had  made  the  gruel  as 
before,  but  was  sitting  by  the  fire  pot  dead.  Since  then 
I have  had  no  mind  to  keep  house.”  The  king  heard 
these  stories  and  was  very  much  touched  with  pity. 
He  came  back  to  his  palace  and  sat  upon  his  throne. 
He  sent  for  these  two  men  and  asked,  “ The  other 
scholars  have  all  gone  to  their  homes  to  celebrate  the 
New  Year  festivities ; why  did  not  you  go  ? ” “We  have 
no  houses  to  go  to,  sir,”  replied  the  two  men.  “ How  is 
that?”  said  the  king;  “dogs,  children,  cows,  and  horses 
all  have  a place  to  live,  and  also  birds  have  their  nests. 
Can  a man  have  no  house  ? You  ought  to  have  a 
reason;  you  must  tell  me.”  Then  the  two  scholars  re- 
peated exactly  the  same  as  they  had  talked  in  the  col- 
lege. The  king  heard  these  stories  again  and  felt  the 
more  pitiful  for  the  men,  and  he  gave  them  high  ranks 
and  good  houses  to  live  in. 

The  above  illustrates  several  of  the  Korean  customs. 

1.  The  parents  arrange,  through  a “ go-between,”  the 
marriage  of  their  children — the  prospective  bride  and 
groom  never  seeing  each  other  until  the  marriage  day. 

2.  While  mourning  three  years  for  parents,  men  are 

not  supposed  to  enter  into  any  business  relations  at 
all.  3.  Men  who  belong  to  the  upper  class  will  let 
their  wives  do  all  the  work,  before  they  would  lay  aside 
their  chance  of  getting  office  and  work  with  their  own 
hands,  which  would  degrade  them  and  debar  them  from 
obtaining  rank.  4.  Men  without  families  are  an  excep- 
tion in  Korea — old  maids  are  unknown.  5.  Thougli 
men  may  be  away  from  their  families  studying,  or  upon 
business  during  the  whole  year,  they  always  return  at 
the  New  Year  time.  6.  There  is  no  word  in  the  Korean 
language  for  our  word  “ home.”  R.  S.  H. 

20 


154 


The  Korean  Pony. 

By  Rev.  Jas.  S.  Gale,  in  the  Korean  Repository . 

Among  the  creatures  that  have  crossed  my  path,  the 
one  that  has  had  the  most  influence  on  my  personal 
character  is  the  Korean  pony.  It  would  be  impossible 
to  recount  the  varied  experiences  through  which  he  has 
led  me.  Instead  of  lifting  my  hand,  and  pointing  to 
some  noted  professor  or  eminent  divine,  as  the  master 
spirit  of  my  life,  I stand  a safe  distance  off,  and  point  to 
the  Korean  pony,  and  say,  “ He  has  brought  more  out 
of  me  than  all  the  others  combined.” 

In  his  company  I have  been  surprised  at  the  amount 
of  concentrated  demon  I have  found  in  my  heart. 
Again,  as  he  has  carried  me  safely  along  the  dizziest 
edge,  I could  have  turned  angel,  and  taken  him  on  my 
back. 

My  usual  pony  has  been  not  one  of  your  well-groomed 
steeds  from  the  palace  stables,  but  a long-haired,  hide- 
bound object,  for  which  your  whole  heart  goes  out  in 
pity.  “ Weak  creature,”  you  say  ; how  easy  it  would  be 
for  it  to  expire,”  but  after  a little  experience  of  its  com- 
pany you  change  your  mind,  for  you  find  its  heels  are 
charged  with  the  vitality  of  forked  ligfitning,  and  that 
on  slight  provocation  he  would  bite  through  six-inch 
armor  plate.  These  things  have  taught  me  to  treat  him 
carefully,  as  I would  an  old  fowling  piece,  loaded  to 
kill — lock,  stock,  and  barrel — and  in  danger  of  going  off 
at  any  moment. 

Korean  ponies  hail  principally  from  the  southern  is- 
land Quelpart,  from  the  group  off  the  west  of  P’yung 
An,  and  from  Ham  Kyung  Province.  A Manchu  breed 
is  being  introduced  of  late,  but  they  are  more  bulky, 
harder  to  feed,  and  not  nearly  as  good  roadsters  as  the 
ordinary  Korean  pony. 


155 


Breeding  districts  are  under  the  charge  of  officers 
named  Kammok.  They  have  with  them  keepers  who, 
twice  each  year,  lasso  a certain  number  of  ponies  and 
send  them  to  the  palace.  There  they  pass  their  palmy 
days.  When  their  hair  grows  long  and  they  take  on  a 
sheeplike  look,  they  are  turned  out  through  the  back 
gate,  and  become  pack  ponies,  carrying  goods  along  the 
four  main  roads  of  Korea.  They  keep  this  up  until 
they  develop  ringbone,  spavin,  rawback,  windgalls,  and 
heaves.  Then  they  are  bought  by  a Korean  living  near 
the  “ New  Gate,”  and  are  used  specially  to  carry  for- 
eigners for  the  remainder  of  their  mortal  existence.  The 
fact  that  the  creature  is  dangerously  ill,  and  the  risk  so 
much  the  greater,  accounts  for  the  double  charge  made 
to  all  foreigners  by  the  man  at  the  “New  Gate.” 

- But  to  return  to  the  subject.  The  Korean  horse  fig- 
ures in  literary  and  scientific  ways  as  well.  He  is  the 
animal  of  the  twenty-fifth  constellation,  and  appears 
specially  as  the  symbolical  creature  of  the  seventh  Ko- 
rean hour -(i  I A.  M.  to  I p.  M.).  This  doubtless  refers 
to  the  fact  that  he  eats  his  chook  at  that  time,  though 
II  A.  M.  to  2 p.  M.  would  have  been  a more  correct  divis- 
ion. We  read  that  his  compass  point  is  South.  Probably 
the  inventor  of  the  Horary  table  was  on  his  way  North 
at  the  time,  and  finding  that  his  pony  naturally  gravitated 
the  other  way  marked  it  South.  His  poetical  name  is 
tonchang  (honest  sheep).  While  the  noun  here  is  well 
chosen,  the  adjective  is  purely  fictitious,  as  we  say 
“ honest  Injun.” 

In  size,  when  alongside  a Western  horse,  he  looks  like 
a ten-year-old  boy  accompanying  his  grandfather. 

His  gait  is  a peculiar  pitter-patter,  and  rides  very 
nicely,  until  he  reaches  the  raw-backed  spavin  age, 
when  he  stumbles  every  few  paces,  calling  forth  remarks 


56 


from  the  foreigner.  The  so-called  Chinese  ponies  are 
all  rough,  awkward  creatures.  A pack  on  one  of  them 
heaves  up  and  down  like  an  old-fashioned  walking 
beam,  while  a Korean  pony  in  good  condition  glides 
along  like  a palace  Pullman.  For  a journey  over  such 
roads  as  we  have,  a small  Korean  horse,  astride  of 
which  Don  Quixote's  feet  would  drag  along  the  ground, 
will  use  up  a large  Chinese  pony  in  less  than  three 
days,  as  I have  found  in  more  than  one  case  by  actual 
experiment. 

Their  sure-footedness  is  a marvel.  If  you  have  been 
fortunate  enough  to  escape  the  man  at  the  ‘‘  New  Gate,” 
and  have  really  secured  a good  pony,  then  give  him  his 
way  over  all  the  danger  of  ice  and  precipice  that  you 
may  chance  to  pass.  Sit  perfectly  cool  on  your  pack, 
for  the  danger  is  less  when  trusting  to  him  than  to  your 
own  feet.  How  my  heart  has  risen  to  the  occasion  and 
taken  up  its  quarters  in  my  mouth,  as  I have  felt  him 
glide  along  an  eight-inch  path,  overlooking  a chasm 
with  twelve  feet  of  green  cold  water  below  me  ! But 
never  a failure,  never  once  a slip.  At  such  times  if  I 
had  been  in  need  of  a proper  joss  to  crack  my  head  to, 
I should  have  enshrined  my  Korean  pony. 

And  yet  in  spite  of  all  these  excellencies  my  opening 
remarks  are  true,  for  in  heart  and  soul  he  is  a perfect 
fiend.  Obstinacy  is  one  of  his  commonest  character- 
istics. He  will  have  his  own  way  as  assuredly  as  any 
Korean  cooly  will  have  his.  When  the  notion  takes 
him,  his  neck  is  of  brass,  and  his  ideas  fixed  as  the 
king’s  ell. 

His  diet  is  chook  and  chopped  millet  straw.  Chook  is 
boiled  beans  and  rice  chaff,  and  is  fed  to  the  pony  in  a 
trough  of  water.  The  beans  are  very  few,  and  the  water 
is  very  deep.  The  long  lips  and  nose  of  the  Korean 


57 


pony  is  an  evolution  of  nature  to  capture  that  bean  in 
the  bottom  of  a trough  of  water.  He  has  been  after 
it  for  generations,  and  another  result  is,  the  pony  can 
breathe  through  his  eyes  when  his  nose  is  a foot  deep 
in  chook  water  hunting  beans. 

The  fact  that  the  water  is  always  colored  leaves  it 
uncertain  as  to  the  amount  put  in,  and  grievous  are  the 
disputations  that  arise  over  an  equal  division  of  these 
beans.  On  one  of  my  journeys,  I had  for  mapoo  a huge- 
trousered,  pock-marked  fellow,  whose  disposition 
seemed  to  be  to  get  into  disputes  and  difficulties  on  the 
way.  The  pony  I rode  was  a long-nosed,  dejected  crea- 
ture, that  required  three  hours  to  feed.  On  one  occa- 
sion I went  out  to  hurry  the  animal  up,  and  found  it 
eye-deep  in  its  trough  apparently  having  an  extra  good 
time.  The  innkeeper  happening  by  saw  the  twinkle 
in  the  pony’s  eyes,  and  concluded  that  the  mapoo  had 
“ squeezed  ” his  beans.  Immediately  a most  interesting 
conversation  took  place,  that  passed  rapidly  through 
the  various  stages  of  the  first  three  acts  of  a tragedy, 
and  beheld  the  innkeeper  wild  with  rage,  the  mapoo 
meanwhile  currying  his  pony.  “ To  perdition,”  says  he, 
“you  and  your  beans.”  With  that  in  a burst  of  tragic 
frenzy,  the  innkeeper  seized  the  brimming  trough  of 
chook^  poised  it  in  the  air  as  a Scotchman  would  his 
caber,  and  let  fly  at  the  mapoo.  With  all  the  centrifugal 
force  of  a projectile  the  trough  grazed  the  pony’s  back, 
and  shot  by  the  mapoo.  The  water  taking  the  centrip- 
etal route  showered  down  over  the  head  and  shoulders 
of  the  innkeeper,  the  beans  gliding  gently  down  his  neck. 

People  speak  of  a “horse-laugh,”  but  a pony’s  smile 
is  something  that,  in  watery  richness  of  expression,  sur- 
passes everything.  That  dejected-looking  pony  smiled, 
and  we  resumed  our  journey. 


They  never  allow  the  pony  to  drink  cold  water.  It 
is  “sure  death”  they  say  ; neither  do  they  allow  him  to 
lie  down  at  night,  but  keep  him  strung  up  to  a pole 
overhead  by  ropes,  so  that  the  creature  is  perfectly 
helpless,  and  all  the  cocks  of  the  village  warm  their  feet 
on  his  back,  and  crow  into  him  the  delights  of  pande- 
monium. 

The  work  of  feeding  ponies  seems  endless  to  one  un- 
initiated. For  a seven  o’clock  start  in  the  morning,  you 
hear  them  up  at  half-past  one  slopping,  dishing,  crunch- 
ing, jangling.  “Wearying  the  life  out  of  the  miserable 
ponies,”  I said  to  myself,  when  I first  heard  it.  I begged 
and  implored,  but  it  was  all  in  vain,  for  when  a Korean 
pony  and  native  combine  in  some  pet  scheme  it  is  as 
useless  to  remonstrate  as  it  would  be  “ to  pick  a quarrel 
wi’  a stone  wa 

By  way  of  poetic  justice,  I love  to  see  the  pony  shod, 
see  him  pinioned  teeth  and  nail,  bound  head,  feet,  and 
tail,  in  one  hard  knot,  lying  on  his  back  under  the 
spreading  chestnut  tree,  with  the  village  smithy  putting 
tacks  into  him  that  brings  tears  to  his  eyes.  But  sea- 
sons like  this  are  all  too  short  to  square  up  with  him 
for  the  sins  of  his  everyday  existence. 

To  conclude  by  way  of  illustration.  I was  on  a 
journey  through  the  South  and  had  reached  the  city  of 
Tagoo,  the  capital  of  Kyung  Sang  Province.  There 
my  pony  took  sick,  and  not  being  able  to  find  any  for 
hire,  I asked  one  of  the  mayor  of  the  city.  The  morn- 
ing I was  to  leave  he  sent  me  round  a perfect  whirlwind 
of  a pony.  This  was  number  one  of  a courier  service, 
which  necessitated  changing  horses  every  five  miles. 

In  the  fourteen  or  fifteen  animals  that  I enjoyed  for 
the  next  three  days  I had  an  excellent  demonstration 
of  the  merits  and  defects  of  the  Korean  pony.  As  men- 


159 


tioned,  the  first  horse  was  a great  success,  the  next  one 
also  was  in  good  condition  and  fairly  well  proportioned. 
On  mounting,  however,  I found  he  had  a peculiar  gait, 
a limp  that  defied  all  my  efforts  to  locate  ; it  seemed,  in 
fact,  to  possess  his  entire  being,  a jerking  that  left  one’s 
inmost  soul  in  shreds.  The  inconvenience  of  this  five 
miles  was  indescribable.  Taken  all  in  all  he  was  the 
most  uncomfortable  horse  I ever  had  anything  to  do 
with.  Glad  was  I to  hand  him  over  at  the  next  post- 
house. 

Pony  number  three  was  soon  in  waiting.  He  carried 
me  out  of  the  yard  brilliantly.  The  road  skirted  the 
bank  of  ariver.  “A  magnificent  view,”  thoughti,  ‘‘and 
a pleasant  pony  to  ride  on,”  when  suddenly  the  creature 
stopped,  reversed  all  his  ideas,  and  began  backing  up 
at-  a dangerous  pace  directly  for  the  edge.  I man- 
aged to  get  off  just  in  time  to  save  myself,  and  then 
thinking  to  teach  him  a lesson  by  a good  shaking  up, 
I attempted  to  assist  him  over  tlie  side.  But  no  ! he 
skillfully  grazed  the  edge,  at  an  angle  sufficient  to  have 
dumped  anything  from  his  back,  and  righted  himself 
again  as  neatly  as  though  he  had  done  it  a thousand  times. 
Evidently  it  was  a premeditated  scheme  on  his  part  to 
take  my  life.  I tried  him  summarily,  found  him  guilty 
in  the  first  degree,  and  sentenced  him  to  as  many 
lashes  as  the  whalebone  in  my  possession  would  mete 
out.  I used  it  up,  the  only  thing  in  all  my  personal 
effects  that  the  natives  admired,  and  then  on  the  ad- 
vice of  Mr.  Yi,  I decided  to  walk  until  the  landscape 
was  a little  less  picturesque.  When  we  had  left  the 
river  and  gained  the  open  fields,  I tried  him  again, 
thinking  surely  that  his  spirit  must  be  broken  by  this 
time,  but  it  was  not  long  until  the  old  sensations  took 
him,  and  he  was  again  backing  up  at  terrific  speed.  As 


i6o 


there  was  no  immediate  danger,  I thought  to  let  him 
back,  which  he  did  until  he  had  run  me  into  a bris- 
tling shrub,  that  lifted  my  hat  off,  combed  me  up  gen- 
erally, and  marked  my  face.  Having  no  more  whale- 
bone I gave  him  up  entirely  and  footed  it  for  the 
remainder  of  the  distance. 

Then  came  three  indifferent  animals  that  just  man- 
aged to  make  their  five  miles.  Mr.  Yi  in  every  case 
gave  special  orders  to  provide  good  horses,  and  the  an- 
swer of  the  poslhouse  keeper  was  invariably  so  bland 
and  righteouslike  that  I could  have  seen  him  caned, 
knowing  how  little  these  answers  meant.  After  one  of 
the  most  immaculate  keepers  on  the  whole  way  had 
professed  to  have  gotten  in  his  case  an  excellent  pony, 
we  again  moved  on.  When  the  creature  was  far  enough 
away  from  the  stables  to  protect  his  master  against  any 
assault  on  our  part,  he  peacefully  lay  down  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  road.  There  he  remained,  until  lifted  bodily 
by  tail  and  ears,  and  then  he  refused  to  put  his  feet 
squarely  on  the  ground,  Mr.  Yi  and  the  two  pony  boys 
straining  themselves  to  the  most  to  hold  him  erect. 

The  last  one  that  I felt  particularly  incensed  against 
was  a ragged-looking  beast  that  was  troubled  with  a 
weakness  in  its  forequarters.  It  went  down  on  its  nose 
without  the  slightest  provocation,  all  the  time,  however, 
its  hinder  parts  keeping  perfectly  erect.  If  its  strength 
could  have  been  divided  a little  fore  and  aft  it  might 
have  made  a passable  pony,  but  as  it  was  no  forelegs 
at  all  would  have  been  the  only  honest  turnout.  The 
creature  hobbled  along,  kept  me  in  a state  of  constant 
suspense,  played  on  my  hopes  and  fears  most  cruelly, 
and  at  last,  in  utter  collapse,  pitched  me  clean  over  its 
head  to  the  total  destruction  of  my  personal  appearance. 

Soul,  Korea,  May  i,  1895. 


i6i 


The  Korean  Cooly. 

By  Rev.  James  S.  Gale  in  the  Korean  Repository. 

Few  subjects  present  more  of  interest  to  a foreigner 
in  Korea  than  the  cooly.  He  it  is  who  exhibits  in  his 
person  those  peculiarities  of  race  that  have  been  smoth- 
ered out  of  the  gentry  by  fumes  of  Confucianism.  The 
latter,  having  inhaled  this  teaching  from  childhood, 
have  gradually  lost  their  natural  traits  and  have  be- 
come more  and  more  artificial,  ever  striving  to  mortify 
the  man  that  they  are  by  birth,  and  to  put  on  for  new 
man  a ghost  of  antiquity.  The  cooly,  however,  is  not 
in  any  such  bondage,  but  exhibits  a-  host  of  character- 
istics that  make  him  in  some  respects  the  most  interest- 
ing figure  in  the  Land  of  Morning  Calm. 

From  the  first  glimpse  you  have  of  him  you  recog- 
nize that  he  is  a creature  of  repose.  Nothing  should  be 
more  restful  to  a nervous,  impatient  foreigner  than  the 
sight  of  a cooly  by  the  wayside,  sitting  on  his  heels  or, 
as  we  say,  squatting,  sometimes  long  rows  of  them, 
motionless  as  sea  fowl,  indifferent  to  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
to  the  flies  that  congregate  upon  them,  or  to  the  pes- 
tiferous gutters  that  crawl  beneath  their  feet. 

While  other  mortals  are  in  constant  commotion, 
fearful  of  this  and  that,  yet  aching  for  change,  the 
Korean  cooly  continues  throughout  the  ages  to  squat 
on  his  heels,  never  growing  tired,  snifling  all  the  while 
odors  that  would  depopulate  a Western  city,  or  by  way 
of  diversion,  eating  melon  rinds,  and  all  in  the  face  of 
cholera  and  other  plagues  of  Egypt. 

It  is  an  atmosphere  of  repose  rather  than  indiffer- 
ence that  envelopes  him.  Indifference  suggests  an 
environment  with  which  one  is  not  in  harmony,  while 
repose  indicates  perfect  agreement.  Not  only  can  he 
sit  in  a painful  position  for  ages,  but  he  can  sleep  with 
21 


THE  WATER  SUPPLY  OF  THE  CAPITAL  AND  CHIEF  CITIES  OF  KOREA. 


head  downward,,  and  ' mouth  wide  open  under  the 
fiercest  sun  of  the  Orient,  and  rise  as  refreshed  as 
though  he  had  had  a night  on  a spring  mattress  and  a 
morning  bath.  This  is  proof  that  it  is  not  a matter  of 
indifference  with  him,  else  he  should  have  had  sun- 
stroke. The  fact  that  he  rises  refreshed  to  enjoy  his 
pipe  proves  the  repose. 

Undoubtedly  he  is  the  greatest  living  example  of  the 
absence  of  all  excitement  or  animated  interest  of  any 
kind  whatever.  He  can  eat  an  astounding  dish  of  pap 
(rice),  and  be  asleep  with  his  head  on  a wooden  block 
in  less  time  than  a foreigner  would  trim  his  tootlipick. 
Nothing  short  of  a bowl  of  kuksii  (vermicelli)  or  the 
crack  of  doom,  can  create  the  slightest  interest  in  him, 
or  prove  that  he  has  nerves  at  all. 

This  characteristic,  while  highly  to  be  commended 
in  some  respects,  has  frequently  proven  a source  of  dif- 
ference between  the  cooly  and  the  foreigner.  The  lat- 
ter proud  of  his  watchword,  action,  runs  full  tilt  into  the 
cooly  who  sits  heavy  in  repose.  It  is  like  the  railway 
train  taking  a header  for  a mud  embankment,  when 
newspapers  announce  next  day,  “ Smash  up,”  not  of 
the  embankment,  but  of  the  railway  train. 

In  view  of  this  danger  to  the  foreigner,  the  cooly 
has,  of  late  years,  done  considerable  to  change  his 
ways,  though,  of  course,  even  in  foreign  employ  he 
still  feels  old  sensations  come  over  him,  and  falls  at 
times  into  his  native  repose. 

Only  once  do  I recollect  seeing  marked  animation  in 
a cooly’s  eyes.  It  was  at  a stone  fight  such  as  they 
used  to  indulge  in  in  the  brave  days  of  old.  Several 
hundred  of  the  best  marksmen  of  the  capital  chose 
sides,  and  armed  with  stones  weighing  one  and  two 
■])Ounds  assembled  for  the  fray.  When  I arrived,  mis- 


164 


siles  were  flying  through  the  air,  any  one  of  which,  had 
it  struck,  would  have  done  for  a man  as  easily  as  a 
fifty  pound  projectile.  They  were  all  awake  to  dodge 
these,  and  the  rush  and  scramble  to  escape  was  like  a 
stampede  of  wild  beasts.  The  throwing  was  magnifi- 
cent. It  seemed  in  truth  a little  war  of  giants.  The 
fight  grew  fast  and  furious.  Grimy  with  dust  and  sweat 
each  side  drew  in  the  closer  and  sent  rocks  flying 
among  the  enemy  in  a way  simply  appalling.  Then 
came  a shock  of  cessation  and  shout  as  though  a goal 
were  scored.  One  of  the  best  marksmen  of  the  enemy 
had  been  struck  squarely  and  was  killed.  His  body 
was  carried  off  the  field  and  again  the  fight  began. 
Before  evening  closed  one  had  fallen  on  the  other  side, 
and  thus  the  score  was  even. 

Such  is  the  cooly,  and  yet  a gentler,  more  lamblike 
creature  never  lived.  Apart  from  this  one  ancient 
custom  he  is  peace  itself;  even  his  personal  wars  are 
merely  threatenings.  One  of  the  amusing  sights  of  the 
street  is  a fight,  the  combatants  of  course  always  being 
coolies,  as  no  gentleman  would  soil  his  garments  who 
has  a servant  to  engage  for  him.  It  begins  usually  in 
dispute,  passes  through  different  stages,  each  marked  by 
a special  pitch  of  voice  and  rapidity  of  utterance,  and 
at  last  ends  in  a climax  of  fury.  A perfect  stream  of  in- 
vective is  poured  forth,  accompanied  by  appeals  to  men 
and  angels  to  behold  the  object  of  depravity.  The 
foreigner  is  horrified,  convinced  as  he  is  that  nothing 
short  of  one  life  can  relieve  the  pent-up  condition  of 
affairs,  when  suddenly  the  whole  case  collapses,  and 
the  combatants  are  seen  on  each  end  of  the  piazza 
smoking  as  peacefully  as  if  all  within  the  Four  Seas 
were  brothers. 

The  question  has  often  arisen.  Is  the  Korean  cooly 


i65 


an  arrant  coward,  or  is  he  the  bravest  man  alive  since 
Jack  the  Giant  Killer?  Evidence  is  not  lacking  for 
the  support  of  either  supposition.  On  the  first  an- 
nouncement of  the  Japan-China  War  we  saw  him,  with 
personal  effects  on  his  back  and  considerable  anima- 
tion in  his  feet,  making  for  the  hills.  We  have  seen  him, 
too,  in  the  capacity  of  trespasser,  being  whipped  out  of 
a compound  with  a small  willow  switch,  and  writhing 
under  the  blows  as  though  they  had  been  sword  cuts, 
repeating  with  imploring  look,  “ Igo  ! You’ve  killed 
me  ! You’ve  killed  me  ! ” 

A small  foreigner  of  hasty  temperament  once  resided 
in  the  Land  of  Morning  Calm.  I had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  him  marshaling  his  men  on  a journey.  The 
coolies  he  had  were  noted  for  strength  rather  than 
agility,  and  as  speed  was  the  chief  consideration  fric- 
tion resulted.  Matters  came  to  a climax  at  last,  and 
the  small  foreigner  made  a round  of  those  coolies  with 
his  right  foot,  spreading  consternation  at  every  kick. 
No  great  damage  was  done,  as  a Korean’s  padded  dress 
serves  much  as  a bird’s  plumage  would  under  a similar 
form  of  attack.  The  group  bowed  to  the  inevitable, 
simply  remarking  of  the  foreigner  that  an  offspring  of 
that  kind  was  a caution  i^keu  noineui  chasik  maknanio) . 

But  there  exists  just  as  strong  evidence  as  to  the 
cooly’s  pluck.  He  will  undergo  a surgical  operation 
without  flinching,  where  a foreigner  would  require  an 
assistant  to  administer  an  anaesthetic.  It  has  been 
said  that  he  has  no  nerves  and  so  does  not  feel  it, 
but  he  felt  the  willow  switch  as  keenly  as  you  or  I 
would.  Considering  his  weapons  and  opportunities, 
he  gave  a good  account  of  himself  in  the  old  days  in 
the  defenses  at  Kangwha.  Often  still  with  a wretched 
flintlock  or  fuse  gun,  he  will  steal  his  way  among  the 


rocks  and  beard  the  tiger,  capturing  his  game  and  re- 
turning home  in  triumph. 

Xot  being  able  to  find  a definite  example  of  more 
than  ordinary  courage,  I referred  the  matter  to  my  Ko- 
rean friend  and  he  told  me  the  following,  which  in  his 
mind  bespoke  a heroism  rarely  seen  among  mortals. 
A number  of  coolies  had  imprisoned  a huge  rat  in  a 
grain  bin.  Xoav  the  question  was,  who  would  venture 
in,  barehanded,  capture  and  despatch  the  rat  ? One 
stout-looking  fellow  smiled  broadly  and  volunteered  to 
go,  amid  the  admiration  and  applause  of  the  onlookers. 
He  pulled  his  jacket  tight,  tried  his  fingers  as  if  to  see 
that  all  were  in  working  order,  and  advanced  to  the 
attack  ; meanwhile  the  rat,  facing  about,  resolved  to  die 
game.  The  parrying  lasted  a few  minutes,  then  a pass, 
then  a rush  of  confusion  and  sudden  leap  into  mid-air, 
all  quick  as  lightning,  and  the  cooly  held  the  lifeless 
rat  by  the  tail  amid  renewed  applause.  “Your  common 
cricket  ball,”  says  my  Korean  friend,  “ is  nothing  ; but  to 
catch  a live  rat,  which  is  equal  to  a cricket  ball  charged 
with  dynamite,  requires  courage  indeed.” 

X’ot  only  does  the  cooly  exhibit  at  times  surprising 
agility,  but  his  strength  is  phenomenal.  With  a rack 
made  of  forked  limbs  fastened  together  so  as  to  fit  the 
shoulders,  he  will  carry  a bale  of  piece-goods  weighing 
four  hundred  pounds,  or  bring  a perfectly  paralyzing 
load  of  deer  hides  all  the  way  from  Kangge,  four  hun- 
dred miles. 

In  Korea  there  are  practical!}'  no  carts  or  wheeled 
means  of  transportation.  Many  of  the  roads  will  not 
permit  of  beasts  of  burden,  so  the  strength  of  the  nation 
has  gone  into  the  cooly’s  shoulders.  With  a load  such 
as  we  often  see  he  reminds  you  of  the  Titan  Atlas 
lifting  the  world. 


l6y 


KOREAN  COOLY  WITH  “jIGGY”  ON  HIS  BACK. 

dred  pounds,  which  accounts  for  all  its  slowness  of 
motion.  Run  Yiolently  against  his  inclinations,  and  he 
goes  obstinately  along,  feeling  it  in  fact  as  little  as  if 
you  had  collided  with  him  when  carrying  his  load  of 
piece  goods.  In  disgust,  and  with  all  your  timbers 
shivered,  you  resolve  to  avoid  him  forever,  neglecting 


It  has  been  a sorrow  to  many  a foreigner  that  the 
cooly  should  be  so  slow  in  his  mental  movements,  so 
obstinate  about  changing  his  mind  or  responding  to  an 
order,  but  it  is  easily  explained.  Like  Ids  body,  his 
mind  moves  under  a pressure  of  from  one  to  four  hun- 


the  one  way  to  manage  the  cooly,  which  is  to  take  him 
softly  and  gently  at  first,  but  with  increasing  pressure 
as  his  being  comes  into  motion,  and  you  can  run  him 
this  way  and  that,  physically  or  mentally,  as  by  the 
turning  of  a rudder,  for  his  condition  is  not  of  obstinacy 
but  of  inability. 

Independence  is  a new  thought  to  Korea,  and  a new 
word  is  coined  to  express  it.  The  native  has  never 
dreamed  of  existence  apart  from  that  of  others.  In  the 
Western  world,  a man  may  bear  his  own  burdens,  just 
as  a house  may  stand  by  itself  in  a wide  expanse  of 
country  ; but  in  the  Orient  men  work  in  groups,  and 
houses  draw  together  into  hamlets  and  villages.  The 
great  forces  with  us  are  centrifugal,  marked  by  exten- 
sion, separation,  and  the  like;  while  in  the  East  life 
tends  toward  the  center,  and  is  characterized  by  con- 
traction, limitation,  the  cooly  being  one  of  the  largest 
contributors  to  this  end.  The  sphere  of  his  usefulness 
is  so  contracted,  in  fact,  that  he  will  undertake  nothing 
without  an  assistant.  He  eyes  the  simplest  task  witli  a 
look  of  hopelessness,  unless  you  will  permit  his  friend 
to  engage  as  well.  Should  it  be  the  handling  of  a wood- 
saw,  he  must  have  a cooly  at  the  other  end,  not  from 
necessity,  nor  specially  by  way  of  ornament,  but  because 
it  is  established  custom  and  convenient  withal.  His  use 
of  a shovel,  too,  is  striking  ; with  one  man  at  tlie  handle 
and  one  or  two  others  on  each  side  holding  ropes 
fastened  to  the  same,  he  creates  a union  of  forces  that 
vividly  explains  why  the  sun  and  moon  drawing  at  the 
same  angle,  and  at  about  the  same  visible  degree  of 
motion,  should  influence  the  tides. 

No  amount  of  money  can  tempt  him  to  break  faith 
with  custom.  He  regards  money  as  a convenience,  but 
in  no  case  as  a necessity.  Other  things  being  satis- 


169 


factory,  he  will  agree  to  accept  of  it,  will  demand  more 
at  times,  or  will  regard  with  a look  of  scorn  the  largest 
amount  you  can  offer  him.  He  never  descends  to  purely 
business  relations.  When  you  engage  him  for  a piece  of 
work,  he  comes  simply  with  a desire  for  your  conven- 
ience, while  in  the  evening  you  present  him  with  cash^ 
expressive  of  your  friendship  and  appreciation.  Should 
the  relations  during  the  day  become  strained,  he  will 
probably  demand  more;  should  friendship  be  strength- 
ened, he  will  accept  less  ; should  mutual  disagreement 
break  out,  he  will  not  work  for  you  for  any  money,  and 
in  all  probability  will  have  you  boycotted  by  others  of 
the  village. 

The  cooly’s  religion  consists  in  a worship  of  an- 
cestors and  a hatred  of  all  officialdom;  not  that  he  really 
lov.es  the  former  or  dislikes  the  latter,  but  custom  re- 
quires that  he  attribute  success  to  the  virtue  of  his 
forefathers  and  failure  to  the  depravity  of  the  district 
mandarin,  hence  expressions  of  reverence  for  the  one 
and  sworn  hatred  for  the  other. 

In  the  first  prefecture  I visited  the  coolies  of  the  vil- 
lage spent  a large  part  of  their  time  squatting  on  their 
heels,  anathematizing  the  won^  prefect,  who  lived  over 
the  hills  in  \\\^ya7nen.  It  seemed  to  me  that  they  were  on 
the  eve  of  an  uprising  that  would  leave  not  even  cotton 
wadding  enough  to  tell  of  the  fate  of  the  hopeless  mag- 
istrate. During  the  course  of  the  season  we  became 
acquainted,  and  a more  sleek,  contented  official  it  has 
never  been  my  fortune  to  know  ; wholly  oblivious  he 
seemed  to  the  storm  brewing  about  his  ears.  The 
storm  continued  to  brew,  but  never  broke.  Visits  to 
other  parts  of  the  country  have  since  demonstrated, 
beyond  doubt,  that  this  discontent  is  the  normal  condi- 
tion of  affairs  in  Korea,  and  that  the  ivdn  would  never 
22 


170 


be  happy  or  safe  without  this  centripetal  force  to  keep 
him  within  a reasonable  orbit. 

While  cherishing  such  hatred  on  the  one  hand,  the 
cooly  is  quite  emphatic  in  his  loyalty  to  the  king  on  the 
other.  To  him  his  majesty  is  the  peerless  perfection 
of  wisdom  and  benevolence,  one  who  cannot  sin,  in  fact, 
who,  though  as  wicked  as  Nero  and  unscrupulous  as 
Ahab,  would  be  spoken  of  as  the  Son  of  Divinity,  the  sin- 
less jade  ruler,  etc.  ; while  the  officials  who  surrounded 
him  from  ministers  down  are  regarded  as  public  goblins, 
veritable  fiends  of  state. 

The  cooly’s  relation  to  his  deceased  ancestors  I have 
never  been  able  to  define.  That  he  is  devout  in  the 
performance  of  the  sacred  rites  is  unquestioned,  but 
that  he  has  a clear  understanding  of  their  purport  is 
exceedingly  doubtful.  A proof,  however,  of  his  grasp 
of  the  situation  is  seen  in  this,  that  he  can  point  you 
out  every  grave  of  his  ancestors  to  the  fourth  gener- 
ation, or  can  talk  as  familiarly  of  a great-grandfather’s 
second  cousin  as  we  would  of  a half-sister.  No  spirit 
is  forgotten  in  his  round  of  yearly  sacrifices.  As  to  what 
it  all  means  he  leaves  you  in  doubt.  Prosperity  in  some 
mysterious  way  hangs  on  it,  and  there  the  subject  rests. 

Calling  himself  depraved  existence,  unconscionable 
sinner,  the  cooly  mourner  wanders  for  three  years,  with 
a burden  on  his  heart  and  the  shade  of  a wide  hat 
over  his  countenance. 

The  cooly’s  home  life  is  simple;  a mat  or  two  on  a 
mud  floor  with  a fire  underneath  is  comfort  enough 
for  the  most  fastidious.  His  iron-jointed,  supple- 
sinewed  wife  keeps  all  in  motion.  The  Korean  would 
long  since  have  been  reduced  to  dust  had  it  not  been 
for  her.  While  her  husband  sits  and  smokes  she 
swings  her  batons  or  makes  the  kitchen  ring  with  cook- 


171 


ing  and  the  sounds  of  her  voice.  Though  unacquainted 
with  the  embroidered  side  of  life,  she  is  a faithful,  decent 
woman,  and  does  honor  to  the  Far  East.  True  to  her 
husband  and  kind  to  her  children,  in  spite  of  her  unat- 


THE  COOLV’s  WIFE. 


tractive  appearance  and  emphatic  manner,  she  takes  her 
part  in  the  struggle  of  life  bravely  and  modestly,  and 
does  credit  to  womankind  the  world  over. 

One  cooly  stands  out  prominently  before  me  as  I 
conclude  this  paper,  a little  man  with  brown  face, 


72 


who  accompanied  me  on  trips  into  the  country,  keeping 
the  way  clear,  and  acting  throughout  in  our  interests. 
One  evening,  after  a bleak  day  of  nearly  forty  miles, 
we  entered  quarters  for  the  night,  and  were  informed 
that  they  had  no  room,  nothing  to  eat,  and  no  use  for 
a foreigner.  All  the  town  apparently  had  come  out  to 
tell  us  so.  There  I was  alone  in  the  world,  no  one  to 
depend  on  but  the  little  man  with  brown  face,  and 
he  had  run  forty  miles  already.  Not  wearied,  but 
shortened  in  temper,  he  spent  about  eight  seconds 
arguing  the  question  with  the  townspeople,  and  when 
that  did  not  avail,  turned  on  the  chief  speaker,  a tall, 
lanky  fellow,  and  taking  a double  hold  of  the  after  part 
of  his  garments,  ran  him  down  that  street  as  though 
propelled  by  a locomotive.  This  was  conclusive  proof 
to  the  inhabitants  that  we  were  running  the  town,  not 
they  ; so  they  yielded  us  a room,  and  strings  of  eggs, 
and  comfort  for  the  night. 

Many  a day  since  all  my  hopes  have  been  centered 
in  the  little  man  with  brown  face,  and  never  once  has 
he  failed  me,  but  has  carried  me  on  his  back  over 
streams,  stood  by  me  through  rain  and  snow,  ever  for- 
getful of  his  own  comforts;  trustworthy  as  one’s  brother 
and  faithful  as  the  sun.  All  for  what } a few  cash,  that 
he  could  have  earned  with  much  less  labor  on  his  own 
mud  floor  at  home ; but  down  in  his  cooly’s  heart  it 
was  for  him  a matter  of  friendship  and  honor. 

It  is  long  since  a difference  of  location  compelled  us 
to  separate,  but  frequently  still,  by  post  or  courier,  comes 
a thick-wadded  letter,  written  in  native  script,  on  coarse 
paper,  wishing  long  life  and  blessing  to  the  recipient, 
saying  that  he  still  lives  and  is  well,  signed  awkwardly 
and  humbly  by  the  little  man  with  brown  face. 

Yokahama,  November  15,  1896. 


173 


The  Korean  Power  Shovel. 

By  Rev,  G.  H.  Jones,  in  the  Korean  Repository. 

This  interesting  invention  occupies  a front  rank 
among  the  labor  saving  machines  of  Korea,  for  it  saves 
from  three  to  five  men  a vast  deal  of  work.  It  consists 
of  a long  wooden  shovel  armed  with  an  iron  shoe  to 
cut  into  the  earth  properly.  The  handle  is  about  five 
feet  long,  and  is  worked  (to  a certain  extent)  by  the  cap- 
tain of  the  crew. 


'bwo 


ropes,  one 


on  each  side,  are 
attached  to  the 
bowl  of  the  shovel, 
and  these  are  man- 
aged by  the  men 
who  seek  to  save 
their  labor. 

When  in  opera- 
tion the  captain 
inserts  the  iron- 
shod  point  of  the 
shovel  as  deep  into 
the  earth  some- 
times as  three 

inches,  and  then  the  crew  of  two  or  four  men  give  a 
lusty  pull  and  a shout,  and  away  will  go  a tablespoon- 
ful of  dirt  fully  six  feet,  if  not  more,  into  the  distance. 
This  operation  is  repeated  three  or  four  times,  and  then 
the  weary  crew  take  a recess  and  refresh  themselves 
with  a pipe.  It  is  a beautiful  sight  to  watch  a crew 
working  these  power  shovels;  everything  is  executed 
with  such  clocklike  regularity,  especially  the  recess. 
Then  the  crew  sometimes  sing  in  a minor  strain,  for 


BY  PER.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  HERALD,  NEW  YORK. 
KOREAN  POWER  SHOVEL. 


1/4 


the  Korean  day  laborer  can  always  be  depended  on  to  do 
it  in  as  pleasant  a manner  as  possible. 

That  this  implement  belongs  to  the  class  called 
labor-saving  machines  there  can  be  no  doubt.  It  takes 
five  men  to  do  one  man’s  work,  but  entails  no  reduction 
in  pay.  In  fact,  the  number  of  its  crew  can  be  ex- 
tended to  the  limits  of  the  shovel's  ropes  without  risk 
of  a strike  among  the  laborers.  Many  interesting 
stories  might  be  told  to  illustrate  its  name  of  the  power 
shovel,  one  of  which  I will  tell.  We  had  a small  patch 
of  garden  we  wanted  turned  over,  so  we  hired  a cooly 
and  put  in  his  hand  a beautiful  new  spade  from  Amer- 
ica. He  attached  two  straw  ropes  to  it,  hired  four 
other  coolies,  at  our  expense,  of  course,  and  did  the 
job  in  triumph.  'Such  is  the  power  of  this  instrument 
over  the  Korean  mind  ! 

Glimpses  of  Medical  Work  in  Soul,  Korea. 

By  Rosetta  Sherwood  Hall,  M.D.,  in  The  Post-Graduate. 

What  would  The  Post-Graduate  think  of  a doctor’s 
carriage  without  wheels,  of  a dispensary  waiting  room 
without  seats,  and  of  hospital  wards  without  beds  ! 
Such  is  our  style  in  Korea. 

Idle  carriage  is  a native  palanquin,  which  has  a 
wooden  framework  of  about  3x3x3  feet,  and  is  covered 
with  cloth  upon  the  top  and  sides;  a wooden  grating 
forms  the  floor  upon  which  the  doctor  sits;  the  front 
door  can  be  raised  or  fastened  down  as  one  pleases, 
and  there  is  a small  paper  window  at  each  side.  Ex- 
tending before  and  behind,  from  the  bottom  of  the 
palanquin,  are  two  poles,  by  means  of  which  two  men 
carry  it,  or,  if  the  doctor  is  going  a long  distance  or 
wishes  to  put  on  a little  more  style,  four  men  are  thus 
employed.  These  men  travel  from  three  to  four  miles 


DY  PER.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  HERALD,  NEW  YORK 


1/6 


in  one  hour,  and  receive  about  fifty  cents  for  a day’s 
work,  boarding  themselves.  If  the  doctor  closes  her 
eyes  upon  the  squalid  mud  huts  and  the  naked  chil- 
dren, she  might  imagine  she  was  being  borne  swiftly 
along  upon  an  elevated  car  in  her  home  city,  but  the 
odor  ever  arising  from  the  filthy  streets  rudely  awak- 
ens one  from  such  day  dreams.  Imagine  mud-walled 
hovels  with  thatched  or  tiled  roofs  so  low  that  the 
eaves  are  within  six  feet  of  the  ground,  all  built  with 
their  backs  to  the  street,  and  with  their  chimneys  pour- 
ing out  their  smoke  just  on  a level  with  your  nose  ; the 
privies,  built  so  that  they  overhang  the  ditch  at  the  side 
of  the  street,  only  used  by  the  women,  the  men  and 
children  commonly  using  the  street  itself,  which  is 
without  sidewalks,  and  is  practically  but  an  open 
sewer,  fortunately  washed  out  annually  by  good  Dame 
Nature  at  the  time  of  the  rainy  season.  If  you  can 
imagine  these  things,  then  you  have  before  you  a picture 
of  the  average  street  in  the  capital  city  of  the  Hermit 
Nation.  No  doubt  the  seclusion  of  women,  as  practiced 
in  Korea,  accounts  for  a great  deal  of  this  condition 
of  affairs.  Picture  to  yourself  the  probable  appearance 
of  our  own  streets  if  women  had  not  been  allowed  to 
appear  upon  them  for  the  last  five  hundred  years. 

Now  look  into  the  dispensary  waiting  room.  The 
floor,  composed  of  stone  and  mud,  is  covered  over  with 
Korean  oiled  paper,  which  by  use  has  taken  on  a polish 
like  marble  ; there  are  some  pictures  and  Scripture 
texts  on  the  walls,  but  when  you  have  mentioned  these 
you  have  spoken  of  all  the  furnishings  witliin  the  room. 
The  women  and  children  you  find  waiting  there  to  see 
the  American  doctor  sit  upon  the  floor,  as  they  do  in 
their  own  homes.  Were  you  to  offer  them  chairs,  they 
would  not  know  how  to  sit  upon  them — would  probably 


77 


climb  up  in  them  cind  sit  down  upon  their  feet.  If  it 
be  winter,  you  will  not  find  them  all  crowding  about 
the  stove  or  register  or  steam  heater,  for  no  such  thing 
is  in  the  room  ; but  each  is  made  comfortable  by  the 
floor  upon  which  she  sits  being  warmed.  The  fire  is 
built  just  outside  and  underneath  one  end  of  the  room, 
and  it  draws  through  channels  in  the  floor  to  the  low 
mud  chimney  on  the  outside  of  the  opposite  end  of  the 
room  ; thus  the  floor,  when  once  heated,  keeps  warm  a 
long  time,  like  the  old-fashioned  brick  ovens.  In  their 
own  homes  the  Koreans  have  their  rice  kettles  set  over 
the  fire,  so  that  their  rooms  are  heated  when  cooking 
their  morning  and  evening  meals. 

Enter  the  consulting  room  while  the  Bible  woman  is 
teaching  the  waiting  patients,  and  here  you  find  a re- 
volving armchair  for  the  doctor,  placed  before  a table, 
upon  which  lies  the  large  record  book.  On  one  side 
is  a handsome  Korean  cabinet  whose  numerous  drawers 
contain  everything  necessary  for  the  doctor  to  use  in 
such  a general  outdoor  clinic,  while  through  the  open 
door  the  well-stocked  shelves  of  a drug  room  appear, 
and  in  the  operating  room  may  be  found  a really  good 
assortment  of  surgical  instruments.  As  a rule,  both 
instruments  and  drugs  come  from  America. 

A patient  enters  ; the  doctor  asks  her  name,  and, 
though  all  Korean  women  are  married,  she  replies  by 
giving  the  surname  of  her  father.  A Korean  girl  is 
called  by  her  “baby  name  ” unlil  she  is  married,  some- 
where between  the  ages  of  twelve  and  sixteen,  after 
which  she  is  nameless  until  she  becomes  a mother, 
when  she  is  known  as  the  mother  of  such  a child.  The 
next  question,  “ How  old  are  you  ?”  if  asked  of  a child, 
literally  means,  “How  many  years  have  you  eaten  ” 
“Eat”  is  a favorite  word.  The  doctor  never  says,  “Take 
23 


your  medicine,”  but  always,  “Eat  your  medicine.”  If  a 
patient  wants  to  tell  you  she  is  deaf,  she  will  say  she  has 
eaten  her  ears. 

A glance  through  that  big  record  book  will  tell  you 
that  the  American  lady  doctor,  assisted  by  the  Korean 
girls  she  has  trained,  treats  from  four  thousand  to  seven 
thousand  cases  yearly.  The  great  majority  are  dispensary 
patients  only,  but  a good  proportion  are  out-calls  and  pa- 
tients cared  for  in  the  hospital  wards.  Quite  as  great  a 
variety  are  treated  as  in  a like  number  of  women  and  chil- 
dren in  New  York  city,  but  the  order  of  frequency  would 
no  doubt  be  different ; there  is  much  less  gyntecological 
and  obstetrical  work.  The  majority  of  the  diseases 
could  be  grouped  under  the  following  heads,  and  in 
their  order  of  frequency  : Digestive,  surgical,  ocular, 
venereal,  lymphatic,  skin,  respiratory,  nervous,  gynjeco- 
logical,  febrile,  aural,  and  circulatory.  A description 
of  some  of  the  interesting  incidents  met  with  in  such 
general  practice  would  make  this  paper  too  long,  but 
may  form  the  basis  of  another  some  time. 

The  hospital  wards  are  built  Korean  style,  about  an 
inner  court.  Koreans  use  only  paper  windows,  but 
those  in  the  foreign  doctor’s  hospital  contain  some 
glass.  The  floors  are  warmed  in  the  way  before  de- 
scribed. As  Koreans  both  sit  and  sleep  upon  the  floor, 
they  need  neither  chairs  nor  beds.  Though  it  is  rather 
hard  on  the  doctor’s  back  and  knees  to  count  pulse, 
make  physical  diagnoses,  attend  to  obstetrical  cases,  and 
do  surgical  dressings  with  patients  lying  upon  the  floor, 
yet  after  all  it  has  its  advantages.  It  is  cleanly;  the 
smooth  oiled  paper  covering  the  floor  is  wiped  up  with 
an  antiseptic  solution  every  day,  and  oftener  if  necessary. 
There  is  no  chance  for  those  vermin  which,  with  the 
best  of  care,  often  infest  the  beds  in  hospitals  of  the 


^ w 
5-  c: 


i8o 


home  land.  It  makes  it  very  easy  to  sweat  a patient 
without  the  use  of  hot-water  bottles.  It  is  safe — ihe 
patient  cannot  get  out  of  bed  without  the  doctor’s  orders, 
and  last,  but  perhaps  not  least,  especially  in  a mission 
hospital,  it  is  economical. 

Liberty,  N.  Y.,  December^  1895. 

The  Native  Doctor  in  Korea  and  His  Work."^ 

By  Rosetta  Shekwood  Hall,  in  The  Post-Graduate. 

The  medical  man  in  Korea  dates  back  over  six  hun- 
dred years  before  Hippocrates  was  born.  No  doubt 
the  god  of  their  healing  art  is  even  more  ancient  than 
Esculapius. 

Medicine  was  first  introduced  from  China,  and  all 
remedies  were  divided  into  twelve  classes,  one  kind  es- 
pecially for  the  king,  anotlier  for  the  highest  official 
class,  and  others  for  the  lower  grades  of  officials  and  the 
common  people  in  their  respective  order.  A Chinese 
classic  in  medicine,  consisting  of  nineteen  volumes,  and 
a work  on  therapeutics,  also  written  in  Chinese,  are  used 
by  the  regular  Korean  doctor,  but  the  principal  part  of 
his  instruction  is  handed  down  orally  from  father  to 
son.  There  are  many  doctors,  however,  who  have  not 
had  even  this  much  instruction,  but  have  picked  up  their 
knowledge  of  the  healing  art  for  the  money  there  is  in 
it,  and  they  try  first  one  remedy  after  another  until 
they  cure  or  kill. 

Korean  doctors  are  generally  paid  by  the  month. 
Rich  officials  often  employ  more  than  one,  and  keep 
them  the  year  round,  so  long  as  they  give  satisfaction. 
If,  however,  there  is  but  little  sickness  in  the  household 

* This  article  maj"  not  be  quite  fair  to  the  Korean  doctor.  No  doubt  he  uses 
many  good  methods  with  success,  but,  of  course,  these  cases  have  not  come  to 
me,  and  I confess  I have  had  little  time  to  investigate  his  methods,  aside  from 
what  my  patients  have  told  me  or  I have  seen. 


i8i 


for  a month,  they  may  pay  him  less,  or  if  he  has  had  to 
use  very  expensive  medicines  another  month,  they  may 
pay  him  a little  more.  It  is  also  customary  to  make 
the  doctor  numerous  presents.  The  quantities  of  eggs, 
chickens,  pheasants,  chestnuts,  cherries,  persimmons, 
preserved  ginger,  and  sauerkraut  that  have  been  be- 
stowed upon  me  by  grateful  patients  I am  sure  would 
astonish  even  the  country  editor.  Here  is  a sample  of 
the  letters  that  often  accompany  such  gifts.  As  nearly 
as  it  can  be  translated  it  reads  : “ Letter  take  up  in  the 
presence  of  the  doctor  lady.  I am  thankful  for  the 
benefit  received,  though  I am  not  able  to  pay  back  ; it 
will  be  difficult  for  me  to  forget  till  my  bones  turn 
white.  Sorry  I am  poor,  consequently  can  only  send 
up  eighty  eggs  for  you  to  make  sauce  of.” 

'Fhere  are  no  native  hospitals.  Some  of  the  apothe- 
cary shops  are  kept  by  doctors,  and  these  form  sort  of 
dispensaries.  They  are  well  stocked  with  dried  herbs, 
roots,  and  barks  tied  up  in  paper  bags  and  hung  over- 
head, with  the  Chinese  name  of  the  drug  written  on  the 
bottom  of  the  bag.  The  rhubarb  used  is  from  China, 
like  our  own,  and  there  is  a fair  quality  of  castor  oil  of 
native  manufacture.  Here,  also,  may  be  obtained  the 
bones  of  the  tiger,  a soup  made  from  which  is  one  of  the 
best  tonics,  and  the  pulverized  skull  is  a specific  in  hy- 
drophobia. Various  insects  and  small  mollusks  are  also 
kept  on  hand  to  use  in  poultices  and  ointments.  Small 
cubes  of  iron  pyrites  are  also  on  hand  to  be  swallowed  in 
case  of  fracture.  Ginseng  is,  perhaps,  the  most  valued 
tonic.  It  will  restore  the  vigor  and  strength  of  youth  to 
the  aged  or  infirm  ; next  to  it  in  value  ranks  deer-horn 
sprouts.  It  is  most  too  much  of  a task  to  undertake  to 
enumerate  all  the  strange  drugs  in  the  Korean  pharma- 
copoeia, and  it  might  not  prove  particularly  edifying. 


82 


Here  is  a copy  of  a prescription  for  an  ointment  used 
by  the  native  doctor  for  eczema:  “Disintegrated  rock, 
licorice  root,  willow,  orange-peel,  bark  of  the  mulberry 
tree,  root  of  the  pine  tree,  four  spiders,  and  five  centi- 
pedes, all  ground  into  a powder  and  mixed  witli  honey, 
and  applied  to  either  acute  or  chronic  cases,”  Many 
of  the  black,  sticky  pastes  and  ointments  that  decorate 
most  of  our  patients  when  they  first  visit  us  are  very 
difficult  to  remove. 

One  thing  the  Korean  doctor  must  observe  in  his 
practice,  and  that  is  to  work  in  harmony  with  the 
Chuk-il-in-siu^  or  the  guardian  spirit  in  each  person. 
This  spirit  daily  changes  his  residence  from  one  part 
of  the  body  to  another,  and  any  attempt  to  treat  a part 
on  the  day  in  which  he  is  residing  in  it  is  sure  to  anger 
him  and  increase  the  trouble.  His  round  through  the 
body  is  a monthly  one,  and  as  he  returns  to  the  same 
part  on  the  same  day  in  each  month  of  the  year,  the 
table  given  in  their  calendar  answers  for  the  whole  year. 
The  Lafig-moon,  or  death’s  door,  is  supposed  to  be  in 
the  West.  Dying  Koreans  are  always  laid  with  their 
heads  to  the  West,  that  the  spirit,  which  is  thought  to 
leave  the  body  through  the  head,  may  travel  a straight 
line  into  eternity. 

Variola  in  Korea  is  quite  as  common  as  rubeola  with 
us,  and  is  considered  a child’s  disease,  that  does  not  re- 
quire the  attention  of  a doctor.  It  visits  the  large  cities 
every  spring  ; we  often  meet  cases  of  it  in  the  street, 
for  if  the  child  is  fretful,  their  best  method  of  quieting 
it  is  to  strap  it  to  the  back  of  the  nurse,  or  some  older 
member  of  the  family,  and  send  it  out  on  the  street.  I 
have  had  such  cases  enter  my  dispensary,  not  on  ac- 
count of  the  child,  but  because  its  nurse  needed  some 
medical  attention.  Koreans  think  it  very  strange  that 


83 


adult  foreigners  should  fear  smallpox,  supposing,  natu- 
rally, we  must  have  all  had  it  in  our  childhood.  Korean 
children  that  do  die  with  smallpox  are  not  buried,  but 
wrapped  in  some  matting  and  hung  up  outside  the  city 
wall  until  the  epidemic  for  that  year  has  passed.  I have 
not  been  able  to  learn  their  reason  for  this  custom,  but 
it  certainly  answers  the  purpose  of  giving  all  a fair 
chance  to  contract  the  disease. 

Midwives  are  numerous,  and  there  are  said  to  be  many 
Korean  widows  who  are  general  practitioners  ; and  it 
would  seem  necessary, for  none  of  the  higher  class  women 
can  see  any  man  outside  of  her  own  family.  However, 
so  far  as  I know,  I never  happened  to  meet  a woman 
doctor  in  any  of  my  work  among  the  Korean  people. 

In  obstetrics  a midwife  is  usually  emjdoyed.  Her 
duties  are  very  simple.  The  child  is  not  bathed  until 
the  third  day,  and  the  mother  is  supposed  to  lie  in  bed 
only  three  days,  and  then  goes  about  her  work  as  usual. 
In  malpresentations,  where  nature  cannot  effect  a spon- 
taneous delivery,  the  patient  generally  dies,  as  the 
native  doctor  knows  nothing  really  of  the  science  of  ob- 
stetrics; and  the  people  are  only  just  beginning  to  learn 
that  the  foreign  doctor  can  help  them. 

One  of  the  favorite  treatments  of  the  Korean  doctor, 
for  ills  too  numerous  to  mention,  is  burning  with  a red- 
hot  iron  or  with  the  moxa.  I suppose,  in  some  cases 
where  a strong  counterirritant  is  needed,  this  treatment 
must  do  good  ; at  any  rate  the  majority  of  my  patients 
bear  the  scars  that  such  treatment  produces.  One  wom- 
an, for  a pain  in  her  arm,  was  burned  so  deeply  that 
^the  tissue  sloughed  down  to  the  muscle,  and  she  had 
erysipelas  *in  her  whole  arm  and  shoulder.  Many  cases 
of  ascites  had  been  burned  nearly  through  the  abdom- 
inal walls.  Another  patient,  with  lateral  curvature  of  the 


spine,  had  been  given  a decoction  of  snakes  after  the 
doctor  had  failed  with  the  red  hot  iron  treatment. 

Many  of  the  remedies  of  the  native  doctor  are  almost 
too  revolting  to  speak  of  even  in  a medical  journal. 
Urine  is  an  eyewash  in  common  use.  I have  treated 
abscesses  that  have  been  poulticed  with  human  fceces^ 
and  one  poor  sick  woman  gave  the  history  of  having 
been  ordered  by  the  doctors  to  suck  the  syphilitic 
sores  of  her  husband  to  cure  them! 

Korean  doctors  have  little  idea  of  either  surgery 
or  anatom}-.  All  doctors  do  general  practice,  but 
some  become  more  famed  in  certain  lines.  Acupunc- 
ture generally  demands  a specialist.  In  common  with 
some  specialists  we  have  before  heard  of,  he  impresses 
the  people  with  the  idea  that  his  needle  can  cure  every 
pain  that  flesh  is  heir  to.  In  rheumatism,  the  knee, 
thigh,  and  lumbar  region  are  pierced  every  day  for 
seven  days.  In  hemiplegia,  the  ankle  and  calf  of  the 
unaffected  side  are  punctured  every  seventh  day  un- 
til relieved.  Even  sprained  ankles. and  wrists  receive 
this  treatment;  and  as  the  Korean  doctor’s  needle  is  by 
no  means  aseptic,  bad  results  following  this  method 
are  frequent.  Abscesses  are  opened  with  the  needle 
and  a seton  of  twisted  Korean  })aper  inserted.  This 
does  not  give  very  conqflete  drainage,  but  is  better 
than  none.  Very  few  parts  of  the  body  are  exempt 
from  acupuncture — the  abdomen,  the  super  and  infra 
orbital  spaces,  and  even  the  eyeball  itself.  I know  of 
one  instance  in  which  an  aneurism  was  punctured. 

As  it  was  once  my  privilege  (.^)  to  see  a native 
specialist  in  acupuncture  at  his  work,  I will  try  to 
describe  it.  I was  called  one  day  to  the  house  of  one 
of  the  higher  class  to  see  a child  who  had  become  very 
sick  two  or  three  days  before,  after  being  carried  a 


85 


long  distance,  strapped  to  the  back  of  his  nurse,  his 
bare  head  and  nape  of  neck  exposed  to  the  fierce  heat 
of  a July  sun.  I found  him  in  convulsions,  and,  after 
a careful  examination,  it  proved  to  be  a severe  case  of 
meningitis,  and  I told  the  father  I feared  there  was  lit- 
tle or  no  hope  of  recovery.  Both  father  and  mother 
bowed  before  me  in  oriental  style  and  begged  me  to 
“ give  life.”  I told  them  only  God  could  do  that,  but 
we  would  do  all  we  could,  and  I left  them  medicine, 
with  the  necessary  directions,  and  the  promise  to  re- 
turn early  in  the  morning.  Now,  this  was  the  only  son 
of  these  people,  and  their  love  for  him  was  quite  as 
strong  as  that  of  fond  American  parents;  and,  like  them, 
they  wanted  to  leave  nothing  undone  for  their  darling. 
They  had  sent  for  the  Korean  doctor  before  they  called 
me,  and  when  they  saw  the  child  surely  growing  worse 
they  thought  they  would  try  the  foreign  doctor;  but  as 
morning  dawned  and  no  improvement  was  visible,  they 
again  sent  for  the  Korean  doctor,  who  arrived  shortly 
after  I did.  After  examining  the  little  boy,  I told  the 
father  he  was  dying  ; that  I could  do  no  more  for  him; 
God  was  surely  going  to  take  him  very  soon  to  his 
heavenly  home.  Then  the  father  bade  the  Korean 
doctor  to  again  try  his  skill.  The  first  thing  he  did 
was  to  burn  a moxa  of  brownish-looking  powder  upon 
each  breast  of  the  child;  as  it  began  to  burn  the  ten- 
der skin,  1 begged  the  father  to  have  it  removed,  and 
said  to  the  doctor,  “The  child  is  dying;  you  know  it 
can  do  him  no  good,”  but  he  only  calmly  smiled,  as  he 
obeyed  the  now  almost  frantic  father  to  go  on  with  his 
treatment.  He  then  took  from  its  sheath  a needle, 
half-way  between  a darning  needle  and  a surgeon’s 
probe  in  appearance,  and  this  he  proceeded,  with  a 
sort  of  twisting,  rotatory  motion,  to  stick  through  each 
24 


86 


little  foot,  through  the  palms  of  the  hand,  the  thumb 
joints,  and  through  the  upper  lip  into  the  maxilla  just 
beneath  the  nose.  Again  I tried  to  make  him  stop, 
but  he  said  it  was  “Korean  custom,”  I replied,  “It 
is  a very  bad  custom  ; ” and  then  I could  not  refrain 
from  delivering  him,  perhaps,  the  first  medical  lecture 
he  had  ever  heard,  explaining  that,  though  the  child 
was  in  a deep  coma  and  did  not  feel  it,  yet  it  was  use- 
less and  cruel,  and  that  in  cases  where  recovery  from 
the  disease  might  occur,  inflammation  of  those  punc- 
tured joints  was  sure  to  follow,  and  often  suppuration 
with  death  of  the  bones;  that  such  cases  had  frequently 
come  to  me  in  the  hospital,  where  amputation  was  the 
only  radical  cure.  He  listened  with  a bland  smile, 
wondering,  no  doubt,  at  the  impudence  of  a Western 
barbarian  undertaking  to  instruct  him.  A few  days 
later  the  mother  sent  a servant  to  me  with  a message 
that  the  child  had  died  and  was  buried;  she  sent  me  a 
present  and  an  invitation  to  visit  her  again.  There 
are  many  such  doors  open  to  receive  us,  but  our  work- 
ers are  so  few  we  are  often  unable  to  enter  them.  In 
a number  of  cases  where  we  have  thus  followed  up  our 
work  whole  families  have  been  won  for  Jesus. 

How  much  more  medical  missionaries  are  needed  for 
this  poor  i^eople  ! What  a privilege,  not  only  to  relieve 
the  poor  suffering  bodies  and  sin-sick  souls  of  those  who 
come  to  us,  but  to  train  young  native  hel|krs,  who  will 
do  much  to  teach  better  ways  even  in  this  generation, 
and  whose  influence  upon  the  coming  generations  will 
be  felt  in  ever-widening  circles.  Phillips  Brooks  wrote, 

“ If  I can  only  ])lace  one  little  brick  in  the  pavement  of 
the  Lord’s  pathway,  I will  place  it  there,  that  coming 
generations  may  walk  thereon  to  the  heavenly  city.” 

Lihkrtv,  X.  V.,  March,  1896. 


18/ 


The  Status  of  Woman  in  Korea. 

By  George  Heber  Jones,  in  the  Korean  Repository. 

The  status  of  womankind  in  any  nation  is  not  to  be 
determined  by  the  experiences  of  one  meml)er  of  the 
sex.  It  would  be  easy  for  anyone  acquainted  with 
Korean  life  to  cite  the  case  of  some  woman  and  con- 
tend that  the  position  of  the  sex  in  Korea  is  either  all 
that  can  be  desired  or  anything  but  what  it  should  be. 
But  this  would  not  be  a fair  handling  of  the  matter,  for 
in  either  event  the  case  cited  would  prove  to  be  an  ex- 
ception rather  than  the  rule.  To  reach  a just  conclu- 
sion we  must  inquire  as  to  what  views  obtain  among  the 
people  concerning  the  sex  as  a whole  ; what  customs, 
usages,  and  laws  govern  her,  and  what  experiences  ap- 
pear to  be  common  to  her  in  the  various  levels  of  social 
life.  And  prefatory  to  our  discussion,  it  is  well  to  note 
that  in  the  general  upheaval  of  1894-95  a change  has 
been  provided  for,  but  has  not  yet  taken  effect  to  any 
great  extent.  With  a few  exceptions,  the  position  of 
woman  is  the  same  as  it  was  ten  or  ten  hundred  years  ago. 

The  following  appear  to  be  the  chief  facts  in  evidence 
with  which  we  have  to  deal.  Woman  is  regarded  theo- 
retically as  man’s  inferior,  and  her  proper  attitude  in  his 
presence  is  one  of  submission  and  subjection.  She  is 
kept  in  seclusion,  given  no  intellectual  training,  and  en- 
joys customary  rather  than  guaranteed  legal  rights.  As 
a result,  her  theoretical  status  is  one  of  inferiority,  but 
by  force  of  character  she  has  risen  superior  to  circum- 
stance and  occupies  a higher  position  than  man  would 
grant  her.  These  facts  wear  different  aspects  in  the 
different  classes  of  the  Korean  social  scale,  but  they  meet 
us  universally  and  form  the  basis  upon  which  to  deter- 
mine woman’s  standing. 


88 


I.  Inferiority.  A Korean’s  views  of  womankind  are 
based  on  a dualistic  philosophy  which  dominates  his 
mind.  All  nature  appears  to  consist  of  pairs  of  oppo- 
sites, though  he  does  not  hold  with  the  Zoroastrian  that 
these  opposites  are  also  antagonists.  These  categories 
run  as  follows  : Heaven  and  earth,  light  and  darkness, 
strength  and  weakness,  superiority  and  inferiority,  virtue 
and  iniquity,  male  and  female,  and  so  on.  The  first 
member  of  each  couple  is  always  the  superior,  the  second 
the  inferior;  as  scientific  categories,  they  appear  to  be 
based  in  the  very  constitution  of  nature,  and  are  thus 
necessarily  correct. 

Nature  having  thus  marked  woman  as  inferior,  a man- 
made philosophy  hastens  to  ticket  her  to  that  effect,  and 
the  Korean  is  educated  in  tlie  same  from  his  earliest 
school  days.  He  reads  it  in 'the  Youi/is  Primer.,  it 
confronts  him  in  the  Historical  Su?nmaries,  and  the 
Little  Learning  fills  his  mind  with  uncomplimentary 
notions  concerning  the  sex.  These  views  are  further 
reinforced  by  the  views  which  he  imbibes  from  tlie 
young  men  about  him,  until  man  certainly  is  lord  as  far 
as  his  estimate  of  himself  is  concerned  and  woman  the 
subject.  Where  a man  and  woman  meet  who  are  of 
the  same  rank,  the  woman  will  be  expected  to  use  a 
higher  form  of  language  to  the  man  than  that  addressed 
to  her.  Woman  is  incapable  of  understanding  a man’s 
business,  friendships,  or  life,  and  is  continually  exhorted 
to  confine  herself  to  “ woman’s  sphere.”  The  follow- 
ing quotation  from  the  Youth's  Primer  exhibits  the 
accepted  view:  “The  husband  must  manifest  dignity 

and  the  wife  docility  ere  the  house  will  be  well  governed. 
Should  the  husband  be  incompetent  to  govern  alone, 
not  able  to  follow  his  way  (of  propriety),  and  the  wife 
encourage  him  in  his  incompetence,  departing  from 


righteousness  by  not  sewing — the  ‘Three  Following 
Ways  ’ (proprieties  governing  woman's  submission)  will 
be  obscured,  and  though  there  be  ‘Seven  Reasons  for 
Divorce  ’ through  which  the  husband  may  find  relief, 
his  house  will  be  annihilated  by  his  personal  incompe- 
tence. A man  honors  himself  by  governing  his  wife, 
and  a.  woman  honors  herself  by  subordinating  herself 
to  her  husband.”  Man  is  then  regarded  as  intrinsically 
superior  to  woman,  and  the  very  existence  of  the  home 
is  made  to  rest  on  this  superiority  (called  competence). 
The  happiness  of  married  life  is  bound  up  in  assent  to 
this  dogma,  by  the  husband  exhibiting  and  asserting  his 
superiority,  and  the  wife  subordinating  herself  with 
docility  and  gentleness  ! 

•2.  Seclusion  and  Subjection.  One  of  the  baneful 
effects  of  the  dogma  of  inferiority  has  been  the  seclu- 
sion of  woman.  Her  inferiority  is  a barrier  to  her  en- 
trance upon  public  life,  and  the  best  way  to  exclude 
her  from  it  has  been  deemed  the  measure  of  confining 
her  to  a proper  sphere — “woman’s  sphere” — and  sur- 
rounding it  by  such  impassable  safeguards  that  outsiders 
have  no  entrance  to  it,  neither  has  she  an  exit.  The 
complete  seclusion  within  the  inner  apartments  of  the 
homes  of  all  young  women  and  all  older  women,  except 
those  of  the  low  class,  is  an  inexorable  law  in  Korea. 
Foreigners  just  arrived  have  doubted  this  until  they 
learned  that  the  young  ])eople  with  long  braids  of  hair 
down  their  backs  and  feminine  features,  so  frequently 
seen  in  the  streets,  were  boys.  But  all  young  women  of 
respectability  are  carefully  hidden  from  the  eyes  of 
males,  whether  strangers  or  friends.  The  rat-tat-tat 
of  her  flying  ironing  sticks  may  be  heard  in  the  streets, 
the  smoke  of  the  green  pinewood  fire  she  is  cooking  by 
be  seen  ascending  above  the  roof,  and  possibly  her  voice 


190 

be  heard  by  a passer-by,  but  her  face  and  form  are 
never  s.een. 

In  noting  this  seclusion  of  women  one  commendatory 
feature  must  not  be  ignored.  It  is  in  the  nature  of  pro- 
tection to  a young  woman  and  a safeguard  of  the  family. 
The  theoretical  inferiority  and  weakness  of  woman,  and 
the  superiority  and  strength  of  man  render  some  such 
protection  necessary  ; the  facts  of  history  point  to  pro- 
tection of  some  sort  as  highly  desirable.  The  previous 
dynasty  had  no  law  of  seclusion,  women  enjoying  great 
public  freedom.  In  the  final  decades  of  the  dynasty 
women  became  the  special  objects  of  violence.  Bud- 
dhist priests  were  guilty  of  widespread  debauchery  of 
homes  ; conjugal  infidelity  was  estimated  the  lightest 
of  crimes;  the  most  popular  sport  of  court  and  provincial 
nobles  was  a raid  upon  a home  known  to  contain  a 
beautiful  woman.  These  onslaughts  on  the  home  did 
more  to  ruin  and  destroy  the  state  than  anything  else, 
for  the  prevailing  corruption  and  debauchery  finally 
engulfed  royalty  itself.  The  present  dynasty  tried  to 
remedy  this  evil  by  withdrawing  woman  from  the  public 
eye. 

In  a country  like  Korea,  where  the  distinction  of  be- 
ing a patrician  carried  with  it  privileges  and  preroga- 
tives of  a most  substantial  character,  even  the  protection 
gained  by  seclusion  has  not  always  been  sufficient.  We 
might  multiply  instances,  to  which  our  notice  has  been 
called  during  the  past  decade,  where  men  clothed  with 
power  have  not  hesitated  to  invade  the  “ seclusion  ” 
and  possess  themselves  by  violence  of  a woman  whose 
fame  had  reached  them.  We  have  in  mind  a case,  in 
1892,  where  the  parties  involved  were  a prefect  of  the 
first  order,  Moksa,  of  a northern  town,  and  a young 
widow  aged  twenty-three  years,  and  famous  for  her 


19 


beauty  and  constancy.  The  woman  was  dragged  from 
the  “ seclusion  ” of  a relative’s  home,  and  force,  even  to 
personal  violence, used tocompel  her  toconsentto  become 
a concubine  of  her  persecutor.  She  finally  escaped  by 
suicide,  while  the  prefect  escaped  by  a dead  run  for  the 
woods  with  a maddened  populace  at  his  heels  seeking 
for  his  life’s  blood. 

Granted  that  this  “ seclusion  ” is  necessary  because 
of  woman’s  inferiority,  the  necessity  for  it  is  a terrible 
comment  on  the  awful  dominance  of  vice  in  man,  not 
on  the  weakness  of  woman’s  virtue,  A Korean  frankly 
told  us  that  men  seclude  their  wives  not  because  they 
distrust  them  but  because  they  distrust  one  another. 
Distrust  is  an  important  factor  in  this  seclusion  of 
woman.  The  Korean  men  know  Korean  character 
better  than  a foreigner  can.  Concubinage  and  prosti- 
tution have  long  undermined  male  virtue  and  the 
man  measures  woman  by  himself.  The  very  idea  of 
common  friendship  and  association  of  the  two  sexes 
for  helpful  and  cooperative  purposes  only  is  not  deemed 
a possibility. 

The  effect  of  this  seclusion  has  been  to  fasten  upon 
woman  the  stigma  of  inferiority.  At  the  age  of  six  or 
seven  years  she  is  taken  away  from  all  outside  associa- 
tion and  confined  in  the  inner  apartments  of  her  father’s 
home.  This  she  leaves  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  (a 
late  provision  which  was  formerly  as  early  as  twelve  or 
thirteen  years  of  age),  a married  woman,  for  the  seclu- 
sion of  her  husband’s  home.  Thus  the  days  which  are 
spent  in  Christian  lands  in  delightsome  association  with 
young  friends,  in  healthful  and  instructive  converse  with 
elders,  in  study  to  deepen,  and  travel  to  broaden  the 
mind,  are  spent  by  the  Korean  young  lady  in  strict  se- 
clusion, The  only  mental  or  other  stimulus  she  has  is 


92 


a routine  composed  largely  of  cooking  rice,  sewing, 
gossip,  and  combating  the  abounding  sorrows  and  diffi- 
culties of  life.  If  of  the  patrician  class  she  will  learn  to 
read  the  native  script  (in  rare  cases  Chinese  even)  but 
the  literature  this  opened  to  her,  until  Christianity  came 
to  enrich  and  ennoble  it,  was  of  a depressing  character. 
It  is  not  surprising  that  the  young  Korean,  finding  his 
wife’s  mind  undeveloped,  concludes  rather  that  it  is 
dwarfed  and  dark.  Their  association  together,  in  the 
majority  of  cases,  hardly  rises  to  mental  and  spiritual 
plains,  and  from  his  own  experience  ‘‘  young  Benedict  ” 
often  concludes  that  the  native  dogmas  are  correct. 

The  manner  of  contracting  marriage  is  an  outgrowth 
of  the  law  of  seclusion.  Men  and  women  may  not  see 
each  other,  consequently  the  element  of  mutual  choice 
in  the  matter  of  a wife  or  a husband  is  impossible.  The 
match  is  made  by  the  parents,  and  the  two  most  inter- 
ested parties  never  see  each  other  until  the  fatal  mo- 
ment which  binds  them  together  for  life.  There  are 
many  evils  which  flow  from  this,  but  among  the  chief 
is  the  cheapening  of  woman.  The  struggles,  the  con- 
quest of  difficulties,  the  hopes  and  the  fears  which  form 
such  an  important  experience  along  the  road  to  mar- 
riage in  Western  lands,  the  Korean  never  has  to  face. 
The  woman  who  becomes  his  wife  costs  him  little  more 
than  a few  dollars,  a ride  on  a white  horse,  and  four 
bows.  It  is  not  surprising  to  find  her  estimated  cheaply 
in  consequence.  There  are  undoubtedly  many  happy 
marriages  in  Korea,  but  these  might  be  infinitely  more 
so,  and  the  number  greatly  increased  if  marriage  cost  a 
Korean  more  than  it  does. 

3.  JUg/its.  The  rights  granted  woman  in  Korea  are 
customary  rather  than  legal.  This  is  not  to  be  de- 
plored, for  Korea  is  still  in  that  stage  of  development 


193 


where  custom  has  the  force  of  law,  and  customary  law 
is  always  a step  to  statute  law.  This  has  proven  true 
recently  in  the  case  of  remarriage  of  widows.  For  cen- 
turies remarriage  of  widows  has  been  frowned  upon, 
but  custom  has  tolerated  it  in  cases  of  necessity.  This 
custom  of  tolerating  the  marriage  of  widows  is  now 
taken  up  into  the  new  constitution,  and  one  of  the  first 
rights  conceded  to  woman  is  that  of  remarriage.  Still 
another  legal  right  granted  her  is  that  which  establishes 
the  age  of  sixteen  as  the  earliest  at  which  she  need 
marry.  Aside  from  these  her  rights  are  as  a rule  cus- 
tomary. Property  rights,  social  standing,  control  of 
children,  redress  in  case  of  damage,  protection,  etc., 
custom  only  recognizes  her.  The  matter  of  divorce  is 
legally  entirely  controlled  by  her  husband.  He  may 
cast  her  off  for  any  one  of  the  following  seven  rea- 
sons : (i)  Incompatibility  with  her  husband’s  parents  ; 
(2)  adultery;  (3)  jealousy;  (4)  barrenness;  (5)  incurable 
disease  ; (6)  quarrelsome  disposition  ; (7)  theft.  For 
any  one  of  these  causes  she  may  be  returned  to  her 
home  with  an  indelible  stigma  upon  her.  As  divorce 
is  a matter  of  private  arrangement  on  the  part  of  the 
husband  it  is  impossible  to  discover  to  what  extent  it 
prevails.  So  few  instances  have  come  to  our  notice  we 
are  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is  very  far  from  being  as 
frequent  as  the  manner  in  which  marriage  is  contracted, 
and  the  ease  with  which  it  may  be  annulled  would  lead 
one  to  suppose  it  would  be.  Desertion  is  the  great  sin 
of  the  Korean,  however,  and  we  are  informed  prevails 
to  a sad  degree.  Many  and  many  a wife  sits  amid  the 
ashes  of  her  happiness,  while  her  unfaithful  lord  spends 
his  time  in  the  company  of  a favorite  concubine,  or 
squanders  his  money  in  stews  of  iniquity  that  abound 
in  every  town  of  any  size.  The  marriage  tie  is  some- 
25 


194 


times  snapped  by  the  flight  of  tlie  wife,  and  this  is  also 
frequent,  but  the  husband  always  has  legal  redress,  for 
the  authorities  can  force  the  wife  to  return. 

Until  the  recent  changes,  which  permit  widows  and 
widowers  to  remarry,  a Korean  could  have  but  one 
wife.  As  above  cited  the  marriage  of  widows  and  wid- 
owers was  tolerated,  but  the  woman  had  a lower  social 
station  than  a real  wife,  and  but  one  level  higher  than  a 
concubine.  Ordinarily  a second  marriage  was  simply 
a mutual  agreement  to  live  together,  unmarked  by  any 
ceremony,  though  sometimes  “bowing  to  each  other  ” 
was  privately  observed.  The  first  was  the  only  legal 
wife  and  in  this  the  Koreans  are  strict  monogamists. 
The  first  wife’s  offspring  may  not  be  supplanted,  and 
all  others  by  future  or  additional  marital  relations  stand 
aside  from  the  pure  line  of  descent,  bearing  a slight 
taint  in  Korean  estimation. 

Concubinage  is  tolerated  as  an  institution,  but  no  con- 
cubine is  regarded  in  the  light  of  a wife.  As  an  insti- 
tution, concubinage  enjoys  an  evil  odor  in  Korea?  The 
women  who  enter  upon  this  relation  come  from  the 
lower  or  the  disreputable  walks  of  life,  and  are  regarded 
as  dishonored  by  it.  The  offspring  have  imposed  upon 
them  certain  disabilities,  such  as  exclusion  from  desira- 
ble official  posts,  and  bear  wherever  they  go  a serious 
social  stain. 

There  are  no  native  girls’  schools  in  Korea,  for  wom- 
en are  given  no  literary  training.  Among  the  higher 
classes  women  may  learn  to  read  the  native  script,  but 
even  then  the  number  able  to  do  so  is  not  more  than 
one  in  a thousand  for  the  mass  of  women.  The  sphere 
assigned  woman  requires  no  literary  training,  with  the 
possible  exception  of  those  women  who  stand  outside 
the  pale  of  the  reputable  classes.  Intended  for  mis- 


^95 


cellaneous  male  companionship  they  are  trained  in  ac- 
complishments calculated  to  render  them  attractive,  such 
as  reading  and  reciting  stories,  dancing,  singing,  and 
playing  musical  instruments.  These  women  may  find 
their  way  into  the  higher  social  levels,  but  never  a 
wife’s.  The  preservation  of  his  line  from  moral  taint 
renders  it  necessary  for  a Korean  to  seek  elsewhere, 
and  he  will  take  to  wife  a woman  with  a mind  as  blank 
as  a wliite  wall,  but  never  one  from  outside  the  reputa- 
ble classes. 

4,  Real  status.  An  absurd  philosophy,  the  dogmas 
of  a man-made  religion,  shadowy  legal  rights,  illiteracy 
and  neglect  have  'combined  to  force  woman  beneath 
man’s  level  in  Korea.  But  she  has  risen  in  spite  of 
these  depressing  forces,  and  actually  occupies  a place  in 
national  life  all  theory  denies  her.  In  her  essential 
qualities  she  is  diligent,  forceful  in  character,  resource- 
ful in  an  emergency,  superstitious,  persevering, -indom- 
itable, devoted.  There  is  much  more  in  evidence  of 
her  diligent  integrity,  than  there  is  of  her  lord’s  indus- 
try. There  are  no  man  tailors  to  share  with  her  in 
clothing  a race,  the  spacious  dimensions  of  whose  gar- 
ments indicate  seemingly  that  they  were  designed  to 
use  up  cloth — great  quantities  of  cloth.  Then  the 
entire  job  of  laundering  these  garments,  and  cook- 
ing the  two  hundred  thousand  bags  of  rice  which  the 
nation  eats  daily,  is  all  done  by  her.  She  does  a 
man’s  work  on  the  farm  (we  have  seen  her  yoked 
with  a man,  dragging  a plow  in  the  country),  and 
runs  thousands  of  small  stands  for  merchandise,  as  well 
as  doing  a thriving  business  in  the  huckster  line.  In 
part,  the  power  and  influence  of  Korean  women  are  to 
be  met  with  in  every  quarter  of  the  world  man  deludes* 
himself  into  believing  he  has  appropriated  to  himself  in 


196 


Korea.  When  times  of  trial  arise  and  the  home  is 
threatened  with  starvation,  the  busy  needle  and  flying 
washing  and  ironing  sticks  of  the  wife  keep  the  house- 
hold together.  Even  more,  her  persevering  and  indom- 
itable energy  rises  superior  to  the  severest  poverty,  while 
her  liege  lord  collapses  as^though  he  had  a shoestring 
for  a backbone.  Could  we  know  the  actual  facts  in 
every  case  it  would  be  found  probably  that  many  of  the 
strutting,  self-styled  aristocrats  in  large  towns  are  really 
drummers  up  of  trade,  purveyors  of  washing  and  needle- 
work, messengers  for  the  real  “ man-of-the-house,”  who 
is  too  busy  or  too  modest  to  appear  in  the  street.  Ko- 
rean women  are  withal  inveterate  intrigim?ites^QXQrc\s\\\^ 
an  unseen  but  powerful  hand  in  general  affairs — all  the 
more  powerful  because  unseen. 

No  more  striking  example  of  what  Korean  woman  is 
can  be  found  than  that  of  her  majesty  the  queen  so 
foully  slain  on  the  October  8,  1895.  Where  is  the 
boasted  self-appropriated  superiority  of  .the  male  in  the 
face  of  the  measures  found  necessary  to  remove  the  un- 
fortunate lady — days  and  nights  of  consultation,  alli- 
ance of  all  available  forces,  a regiment  of  troops,  a night 
attack,  hired  foreign  assassins,  and — as  though  afraid  of 
her,  dead — heaven  and  earth  moved  to  blacken  her 
memory  and  enshroud  her  fate  in  mystery.  Surely  it 
is  not  too  much  to  conclude  that  woman  occupies  a 
place  out  of  all  proportion  to  that  assigned  her  by  phi- 
losophy in  Korean  society. 

Juue^  1896. 


197 


Esther  Kim  Pak. 

By  Dr.  R.  S.  Hall,  in  the  Liberty  Register. 

In  the  year  1876  another  girl  baby  came  to  a poor 
family  named  Kim,  in  the  capital  of  Korea.  At  that 
time  ihere  were  no  missionaries  in  Korea.  It  was  known 
as  the  “Hermit  Nation,”  Mr.  Kim  and  his  wife  called 
their  little  baby  Chyom  Tong.  When  Chyom  Tong  was 
five  or  six  years  old,  another  girl  baby  came  to  this 
family,  making  four  daughters  in  all,  and  as  they  had 
no  sons,  they  felt  badly,  for  when  the  father  died  there 
would  be  no  son  to  carry  on  the  ancestral  worship  ; so, 
though  they  were  very  poor,  they  adopted  a son.  Not 
long  after  this,  in  the  year  1885,  some  American  mis- 
sionaries came  to  Korea  and  began  work  near  the  place 
where  Mr.  Kim  lived,  and  it  so  happened  that  both  Mr. 
Kim  and  his  adopted  son  became  employed  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Appenzeller,  one  of  those  missionaries,  and  thus  they 
heard  about  the  girls’  school  that  Mrs.  M.  F.  Scranton 
opened  for  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 
Mr.  Kim  thought  it  might  be  a good  place  to  put  one 
of  his  daughters,  as  she  would  thus  get  her  rice  and 
clothes,  and  perhaps  the  new  doctrine  taught  there 
would  not  harm  her  much.  So,  fortunately  for  Chyom 
Tong,  she  was  the  one  selected,  and  thus  became  a pupil 
in  the  first  school  ever  established  for  Korean  girls. 
She  was  supported  by  the  Bellevue  Auxiliary  of  the 
Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  this  little  auxil- 
iary, near  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  contributing  forty  dollars  each 
year  to  this  end.  Chyom  Tong  well  remembers  the  first 
time  she  saw  any  foreigners,  how  she  was  struck  with 
the  large  size  of  their  noses  in  comparison  to  those  of 
Korean  women,  who  would  not  think  it  at  all  pretty  to 
have  such  large  noses.  She  also  thought  it  very  odd  to 
find  the  foreigners  burning  fire  in  large  iron  boxes, 


MR.  AND  MRS.  PAK 


199 


instead  of  under  their  floors,  as  all  Koreans  do.  She 
wondered  how  they  could  keep  comfortable  with  no 
warm  floors  to  sit  or  sleep  upon.  However,  she  found 
the  Korean  girls  were  to  have  rooms  heated  after  the 
native  method,  and  soon  decided  that,  though  the  for- 
eign teacher’s  nose  was  so  large,  she  had  a very  kind 
heart,  and  she  soon  learned  to  love  her  and  her  new 
home  dearly.  Chyom  Tong  proved  very  quick  to  learn, 
and  soon  surpassed  the  other  girls  in  the  school.  She 
studied  the  Bible  and  Catechism  in  Korean,  and  she 
also  studied  Chinese  and  English.  Little  by  little  she 
began  to  understand  the  Gospel  truths  the  mission- 
aries had  come  to  bring,  and  she  had  learned  to  abhor 
lying  and  stealing,  two  of  the  sins  so  common  among 
Koreans,  and  then  among  most  of  the  girls  in  the  school. 

Chyom  Tong  felt  the  need  of  a clean  heart,  and  be- 
gan to  pray  in  secret  for  it.  When  she  had  been  in  the 
mission  school  nearly  a year,  the  usual  rainy  season 
came  round,  and  it  seemed  as  if  it  rained  in  greater 
torrents  than  ever  before.  One  night,  as  Chyom  Tong 
lay  in  her  room  listening  to  the  heavy  rainfall  outside, 
the  thought  came  to  her  that  perhaps  the  Lord  was  go- 
ing to  punish  the  sins  of  her  people  with  a flood,  as  he 
did  in  the  time  of  Noah,  which  she  had  just  learned 
about,  and  she  expressed  this  thought  to  her  roommate, 
who  said  she  was  just  thinking  those  same  thoughts. 
Chyom  Tong  suggested  that  they  get  upon  their  knees 
and  confess  all  their  sins  to  God,  and  ask  Him  to  take 
them  away  and  give  them  clean  hearts,  so  they  would 
not  be  afraid  to  die.  This  they  did,  and  their  simple 
faith  was  rewarded.  God’s  own  peace  filled  their  hearts 
and  took  away  all  their  fears,  and  they  fell  asleep,  God’s 
forgiven  children.  The  next  day  Chyom  Tong  told  the 
other  girls  about  the  change  that  had  come  to  her  heart. 


200 


and  invited  them  all  to  her  room  that  night  to  have  a little 
prayer  meeting,  such  as  she  had  seen  the  missionaries 
have.  So  she  cleaned  up  her  room  and  decorated  it 
with  flowers,  and  got  some  hymn  books,  and  they  sang 
and  prayed,  and  had  such  a good  time  that  they  decided 
to  do  it  every  night.  Their  Korean  teacher,  hearing 
about  the  meeting,  asked  if  she  might  attend,  and  then 
the  other  women  came  in,  and  this  was  the  origin  of  the 
first  woman’s  prayer  meeting  in  Korea. 

When  Chyom  Tong  was  a girl  of  about  fourteen.  Dr. 
Rosetta  Sherwood  was  sent  to  Korea  for  the  Woman’s 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  to  take  up  the  medical 
work  in  the  Woman’s  Hospital  and  Dispensary,  that  Dr. 
Metta  Howard  had  been  obliged  the  year  before  to  leave 
on  account  of  ill  health.  As  the  work  had  already  been 
organized,  and  many  patients  had  been  waiting  a long 
time  to  consult  the  woman  doctor,  she  had  to  commence 
work  in  the  hospital  the  second  day  after  her  arrival, 
with  no  knowledge  of  the  language.  As  by  this  time 
Chyom  Tong  had  outstripped  all  the  other  girls  in  her 
acquisition  of  English,  she  was  sent  to  the  hospital 
several  hours  each  day  to  interpret  for  Dr.  Sherwood, 
and,  together  with  two  or  three  other  girls,  the  doctor 
taught  them  physiology,  and  later  materia  medica,  while 
each  day  they  received  practical  lessons  in  the  dispen- 
sary in  putting  up  drugs  and  learning  to  care  for  the 
sick,  so  that  they  became  quite  valuable  assistants, 
young  girls  though  they  were.  At  first  Chyom  Tong 
liked  the  interpreting  and  the  study  better  than  the 
other  part  of  the  new  work,  and  naturally  rather  shrank 
from  surgery.  But  she  soon  learned  to  appreciate  all, 
and  after  assisting  at  an  operation  for  harelip,  surprised 
her  friends  by  declaring  she  would  like  to  be  able  to 
perform  such  an  operation  herself,  and  from  that  time 


201 


on  never  gave  up  her  determination  to  become  a doctor 
herself,  should  God  open  the  way. 

Sunday,  January  25,  1891,  Chyom  Tong  was  baptized 
by  the  Rev.  F.  Ohlinger,  and  received  the  name  of 
“ Esther.”  As  in  Korea,  a woman  loses  her  given  name 
when  she  is  married  and  is  called  by  none  till  she  be- 
comes a mother  (when  she  is  only  known  as  such  a one’s 
mother),  the  missionaries  have  to  give  the  women  and 
girls  new  names  in  baptism,  and  quite  frequently  they 
use  Bible  names  ; so  the  name  Esther  was  chosen  for 
Chyom  Tong.  Esther  said  her  heart  felt  very  happy 
that  day,  and  she  clearly  showed  she  appreciated  the 
true  import  of  the  service. 

'rhe  following  quotations  from»Esther’s  letters  to  Dr. 
Sherwood  will  give  an  idea  of  her  style  of  thought,  and 
show  that  a Korean  girl’s  heart  is  not  so  different  from 
that  of  an  American  girl  after  all  : 

. “ My  very  dear-friend,  I will  tell  you  one  story.  You 
are  an  American  people  and  I am  Korean  girl  ; but  I 
love  you  like  sister,  and  I want  you  to  please  love  like 
your  own  sister.  Jesus  is  our  oldest  Brother.  I do  right, 
then  I am  Jesus’  sister,  and  you  are  Jesus’  sister,  too. 
To-day  I am  full  of  joy;  to-day  I shine  very  bright  light.” 

Another  time  she  writes  in  a different  mood,  probably 
after  some  reproof. 

“You  are  wise  more  than  me.  I am  unwise.  Please 
think  I am  unwise,  and  forgive  me  490  times,  my  dear 
doctor.  I am  Korean  girl ; you  are  American  lady.  I 
know  your  heart  a little;  you  know  my  heart  very  well. 
My  heart  is  narrow,  narrow.  I cannot  tell  how  much 
my  heart  is  narrow.  I get  angry  quick.  My  heart  is 
just  like  your  stove  that  gets  red  hot  so  quickly.  I hope 
my  heart  will  become  clear  just  like  glass,  and  wide 
just  like  the  world.  God  is  our  Father  ; He  helps  you 
26 


t 


202 

and  me  all  the  time,  and  see  your  heart  and  my  heart 
also.  God  sent  you  out  to  Korea,  and  sent  me  to  this 
house,  and  I think  God  wants  me  to  help  you  many 
years.  Please  do  not  forget  me  if  you  will  be  one  hun- 
dred years  old,  or  if  you  go  to  America.” 

Time  passed  rapidly  on,  and  Esther  became  sixteen 
years  old  ; her  father  had  died,  her  two  elder  sisters  were 
married,  and  her  mother  and  Korean  friends  became  very 
anxious  that  Esther  should  be  married,  as  most  Korean 
girls  are  before  the  age  of  fourteen.  As  girls  have  to 
wear  their  hair  in  a long  braid  down  the  back  until  they 
are  married,  even  the  dispensary  patients  could  not  help 
exclaiming  when  they  saw  her,  “Why  ! such  a big  girl 
and  not  married,  what  can  be  the  matter?”  There  is 
no  such  thing  as  an  unmarried  woman  in  Korea,  except 
the  dancing  girls,  and  perhaps  a few  so  deformed  or 
diseased  that  “ go-betweens  ” could  arrange  no  match 
for  them ; so,  though  Esther  feared  marrying  would  in- 
terfere with  her  cherished  idea  of  going  some  time  to 
America  to  graduate  in  medicine,  yet  she  was  so  tor- 
mented by  her  relatives  that  she  decided  she  would 
have  to  abide  by  the  customs  of  her  people.  Her 
friends  said  if  the  missionaries  did  not  find  a husband 
for  her,  they  would  get  one  from  the  country;  and  as 
that  meant  a heathen,  her  missionary  friends  began  to 
look  around,  and  finally  decided  upon  a Mr.  Pak,  a 
young  man  converted  in  Dr.  Hall’s  work.  So  the  en- 
gagement was  arranged  by  a “go-between,”  as,  accord- 
ing to  Korean  custom,  husband  and  wife  must  not  see 
each  other  until  the  marriage  day.  Dr.  Sherwood’s 
own  happy  marriage,  though  at  first  a great  grief  to 
Esther,  later  had  done  much  to  reconciling  her  to  the 
idea  of  marrying,  and  she  behaved  very  sensibly  about 
it,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  letter  written  to  Mrs. 


203 


Hall.  ‘‘My  very  precious  sister,  how  are  you  to-day, 
and  iny  dear  brother,  Dr,  Hall,  is  he  quite  well  ? I am 
well  and  happy.  I was  much  pleased  with  your  letter 
yesterday.  You  wrote  much,  and  also  many  strange 
words.  Now,  I will  tell  you  some  strange  words  which 
I never  tell.  Do  you  know  how  my  heart  feel  ? Three 
nights  I could  not  go  to  sleep,  and  feel  troubled,  be- 
cause I never  like  man,  and  also  I do  not  know  how  to 
sew  well  ; but  Korean  custom  all  girls  have  to  marry, 
have  to  be  husband  and  wife,  I cannot  help  that,  even 
1 do  not  like  man.  If  our  dear  heavenly  Father  send 
Mr.  Pak  here,  and  make  me  his  wife,  I will  be  his  wife. 
If  God  send  me  anywhere  I will  go.  I do  not  care 
about  rich  or  poor,  or  high  or  low.  You  know  I will 
not  get  married  to  one  who  does  not  like  Jesus’  word.” 
So  May  24,  1893,  they  were  married  by  the  Christian 
ceremony.  As  Esther  had  never  known  any  man  be- 
fore except  Dr.  Hall  and  a few  other  missionaries,  it 
was  no  more  than  natural  that  she  should  have  been  at 
first  rather  disappointed  in  her  husband,  who,  though 
quite  as  good  and  better  than  most  Korean  husbands, 
was  of  course  rather  different  from  the  ideal  Esther  had 
gained  from  what  she  knew  of  American  husbands.  It 
was  a year  before  she  could  say  she  loved  her  husband. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  Esther  continued  faithful  in 
her  work  and  studies,  and  became  more  useful  than 
ever  ; veiling  herself  in  the  “ green  silk  coat  ” she  was 
now  able  to  accompany  the  doctor  often  on  her  visits  to 
the  houses  of  the  people,  and  as  her  style  of  hairdress 
now  showed  her  to  be  a married  woman,  her  earnest 
words  were  listened  to  with  respect.  She  took  up  the 
study  of  instrumental  music  under  the  kind  instruction 
of  Mrs,  Jones  and  Mrs.  Hulbert,  and  soon  got  so  she 
could  accompany  upon  the  organ  a number  of  the 


nv  rcn  woman’b  MisnioNAnv  rniPNn. 


205 


tunes  used  in  our  Sunday  afternoon  services  at  the  dis- 
pensary ; she  also  proved  an  efficient  leader  of  these 
meetings.  Her  medical  training  was  not  neglected. 
She  became  familiar  with  the  Latin  names  of  all  the 
drugs  in  the  dispensary,  and  compounded  most  of  the 
prescriptions.  She  learned  to  administer  the  ether  in 
surgical  operations,  and  sometimes  when  help  was  short 
would  hold  the  ether  cone  in  one  hand,  and  sponge  the 
wound  with  the  other.  And  thus  she  became  familiar 
with  the  appearance  and  technical  names  of  most  of  the 
diseases  met  with  in  a dispensary  and  hospital  practice 
of  six  thousand  cases  a year. 

Korean  people  disliJ<e  living  in  any  other  place  than 
that  in  which  their  family  has  lived  for  generations, 
but  when  Mrs.  Hall  asked  Esther  if  she  would  be  will- 
ing to  go  to  Pyong  Yang,  i8o  miles  away,  to  work  for 
Jesus,  she  replied,  “I  will  go  wherever  Lord  open  the 
door  for  me  ; if  He  open  door  in  Pyong  Yang  I will  go  ; 
I give  my  body  and  soul  and  heart  to  the  Lord  ; my 
body,  and  my  heart,  and  my  soul,  are  all  the  Lord’s 
things,  and  I give  my  life  to  teach  my  people  about 
God  even  if  people  kill  me.  I do  not  hope  I get  rich, 
or  have  many  pretty  things,  but  I want  to  work  for 
Jesus  most  of  all.”  So  in  April,  1894,  she  and  her  hus- 
band accompanied  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  to  Pyong  Yang, 
Her  missionary  zeal  was  somewhat  tried  by  her  first 
experience  with  seasickness,  but  it  stood  the  test.  The 
following  rather  amusing  account  of  this,  her  first  sea 
voyage,  Esther  wrote  to  Dr.  Mary  Cutler  : 

“ I am  in  Pyong  Yang.  We  came  here  just  to-day.  lam 
very  tired,  but  I want  to  talk  to  you  just  the  same  as  if  I 
were  with  you.  I wish  I could  tell  you  all  what  I saw,  but 
I am  afraid  I don’t  know  how  to  spell  these  names.  We 
left  Mrs.  Jones’s  house  on  Friday  about  eleven  o’clock; 


2o6 


we  came  to  water  and  went  in  a little  boat  and  came 
over  to  the  steamer.  The  steamer  was  very  great  and 
high,  the  very  great  steamer  I ever  saw  in  my  life.”  (But 
not  one  quarter  so  large  as  one  she  crossed  the  Pacific 
in  not  many  months  later.)  “ Each  side  had  kind  of 
stairs  made  of  wood  and  iron  to  help  us  come  up.  Mr. 
Pak  and  Dr.  Hall  helped  me  up.  There  were  many, 
many  men  and  dancing  girls.  Then  we  came  up  a 
stairs  to  our  room.  It  was  small  and  dark  and  bad 
smell.  We  were  very  tired,  so  we  spread  our  beds  and 
lay  down.  I do  not  remember  what  all  but  I com- 
menced to  seasick.  I had  very  bad  headache,  also  heart- 
ache, and  I vomit  and  vomit  all  afternoon  and  all  night. 
I thought  I was  going  to  die  on  the  steamer  and  my  mind 
was  all  gone.  The  steamer  began  to  roll  more  and 
Mrs.  Hall’s  baby’s  nurse  vomited  up,  and  Mrs.  Hall 
vomit,  and  Dr.  Hall  vomit,  and  ]\Ir.  Pak’s  face  looked 
like  a dead  man.  We  all  so  seasick,  therefore  Dr.  Hall 
called  one  of  the  seamen  to  help  take  care  of  the  baby. 
Sunday  we  feel  a little  better  so  we  ate  some  gruel. 
On  IMonday  we  feel  more  better,  and  we  ate  a little 
more  gruel.  We  were  on  the  steamer  four  days.  O, 
we  had  a hard  time!  On  Monday  afternoon  we  stop  at 
Po  San  harbor,  then  we  came  on  in  a river  boat.  This 
boat  had  a little  room  dirty  like  a pigpen,  full  of  bugs 
and  lice,  and  cannot  lift  our  heads  it  was  so  low.  We 
lie  down  and  try  to  sleep.  We  stay  there  all  night. 
Mr.  O,  one  of  the  earnest  Christians  from  Pyong  Vang, 
came  to  meet  us,  and  in  the  morning  we  read  our  Bible, 
and  Mr.  O made  such  a good  prayer.  We  got  to 
Pyong  Yang  that  afternoon  and  came  in  closed  chairs 
to  the  house  where  Dr.  Hall  stops.” 

^Ir.  Pak  and  Esther  proved  faithful  helpers  at  Pyong 
Yang.  They  were  quite  brave  during  those  three  days 


207 


of  severe  persecution  when  Chang  Likey,  Mr.  O,  and 
other  Pyong  Yang  Christians  were  thrown  into  prison. 
One  day  Mr.  Pak  was  seized  by  his  topknot,  beaten 
and  kicked,  and  ordered  to  be  carried  off  to  prison  ; but 
Dr.  Hall  was  able  to  rescue  him,  to  Esther’s  great  re- 
lief. Later,  when  the  persecution  had  subsided,  Esther 
proved  efficient  help  to  Mrs.  Hall  in  opening  the  first 
Christian  work  for  the  women  and  children  of  this  city 
of  one  hundred  thousand  people,  called  the  “ Sodom  of 
Korea.”  After  a month  of  most  interesting  and  suc- 
cessful work  the  whole  party  were  obliged,  much  to 
their  regret,  to  return  to  Soul  on  account  of  the  war. 
After  the  great  battle  of  Pyong  Yang  was  fought.  Dr. 
Hall  returned  to  follow  up  the  work  there,  contracted 
typhus  fever,  and  returned  home  to  die. 

Mrs.  Hall  decided  it  would  be  best  for  her  to  return  to 
America  for  a season.  Esther  at  once  begged  leave  to  go 
with  her,  and  Mrs.  Hall  thought  perhaps  the  bpportunity 
had  now  come  for  Esther  to  pursue  her  long-cherished 
idea  of  studying  medicine  in  America,  and,  receiving  per- 
. mission  from  the  mission  and  a little  financial  help  from 
individuals,  she  decided  to  bring  her.  Hesitating  to 
separate  Esther  for  so  long  a time  from  her  husband, 
who  had  not  had  so  good  advantages  even  in  Korea  as 
she  had  had,’ Mrs.  Hall  thought  it  wiser  to  bring  both. 

Mr.  Pak  is  most  industriously  pursuing  the  study  of 
English,  and  at  the  same  time  has  saved  enough  from 
his  earnings  to  help  his  wife  quite  substantially  in  pre- 
paring for  her  medical  studies.  On  February  i,  1895,  Mrs. 
Pak  entered  the  public  school  at  Liberty,  N.  Y.  Differ- 
ent friends,  believing  in  this  practical  form  of  mission 
work,  boarded  or  paid  for  her  board  each  month,  and 
she  made  good  progress  in  the  schoolroom.  Septem- 
ber, 1895,  Mrs.  Pak  entered  the  “Nursery  and  Child’s 


208 


Hospital,”  of  New  York  city,  where  she  was  able  to 
earn  her  way  for  over  a year,  and  at  the  same  time 
was  kindly  allowed  to  pursue  her  studies  in  Latin, 
physics,  and  mathematics,  under  the  instruction  of 
Mrs.  Walberg,  so  that  she  became  fairly  well  prepared 
to  enter  a medical  college  last  autumn.  During  the 
winter,  knowing  Esther  had  several  things  to  dis- 
courage her,  Mrs.  Hall  wrote  asking  her  if  she  was  not 
inclined  to  give  up  the  idea  of  becoming  a regular  phy- 
sician and  return  to  Korea  with  her  soon.  In  her  reply 
Esther  said  : “ While  I am  here,  I would  of  course  like 
to  have  you  live  in  America  ; but  I cannot  please  only 
me,  and  also  I do  not  wish  to  be  selfish  and  hinder  your 
going  back  on  account  of  me,  but  I like  you  to  return 
and  help  our  poor  sisters  before  I am  ready.  I know 
God  will  send  me  a good  faithful  friend  to  help  me. 
I do  not  have  a mind  that  I will  give  up  learning  to  be 
a doctor  if  'I  can  ^et  into  college  safely.  I know  I will 
have  no  other  chance  if  I give  it  up  now,  so  I don’t 
think  to  give  it  up  if  it  is  the  Lord’s  will.  Also  Mr. 
Pak  wants  me  to  learn  to  be  a doctor  more  than  any- 
thing. I will  try  all  my  best,  and  after  I have  done  all 
my  best  and  can’t  learn,  then  I have  to  give  it  up,  but 
not  before.” 

Mrs.  Pak  entered  the  Woman’s  Medical  College  of 
Baltimore,  October  i,  1896 — the  first  Korean  woman  to 
take  up  the  study  of  medicine.  Dr.  Cordell,  secretary 
of  the  faculty,  says  they  find  her  intelligent  and  stu- 
dious. She  has  finished  her  first  year’s  work  with 
credit,  and  will  no  doubt  complete  the  full  course  in 
three  years  more.  Any  interested  reader  desiring  to 
help  defray  Mrs.  Pak’s  expenses  may  forward  funds 
to  Mrs.  E.  B.  Stevans,  607  Thompson  Avenue,  Balti- 
more, Md. 


209 


Anyone  who  has  ever  read  of  the  ignorant  and  often 
very  cruel  methods  practiced  by  the  native  Korean 
doctor,  will  surely  deem  it  a privilege  to  aid  Esther 
Kim  Pak  in  her  laudable  desire  to  become  thoroughly 
equipped  in  Western  medical  knowledge,  that  she  may, 
at  the  conclusion  of  her  studies,  help  relieve  her  suffer- 
ing sisters  in  Korea. 

dAvo  Korean  Fables. 

Translated  for  The  Christian  Herald  by  Mrs.  Rosetta  Sherwood  Hall 
Missionary  at  Pyong  Yang. 

WHOSE  CHICKEN  ? 

There  was  a man  who  was  a famous  magistrate  in 
Korea.  Once  there  were  two  men  who  quarreled  for  a 
chicken.  One  man  said,  “This  is  mine,”  and  the  other 
also  said  thus.  At  last  they  came  to  the  magistrate 
and  beseeched  him  to  find  out  the  true  proprietor. 
The  magistrate  said,  “ These  two  men  each  said  he  is 
owner,  how  can  I find  out.?  But  this  chicken  you 
brought  to  sell  to  the  market,  did  you  not.?”  “Yes, 
sir,”  said  they.  “ Then  what  did  you  feed  the  chicken 
at  your  houses  when  you  left  your  houses  in  the  morn- 
ing?” asked  the  magistrate.  “At  my  house  I don’t 
have  any  other  grain,  but  only  have  little  corn,  and  I 
fed  her  that  sir,”  said  one  of  them.  “I  fed  her  some 
rice,”  said  the  other.  The  magistrate  told  his  servant 
to  kill  the  chicken  and  cut  open  the  crop,  and 
when  he  had  done  so  he  found  there  plenty  of 
corn.  The  magistrate  said  to  the  man  who  said 
that  he  had  fed  rice,  “ There  is  no  use  to  remain 
such  a wicked  man  as  yon,  but  I will  punish  you 
by  some  whipping  only.”  And  then  he  gave  the 
chicken  to  the  servant  to  eat,  and  paid  the  innocent 
man  twice  as  much  as  the  real  price. 

27 


210 


A GREAT  BARGAIN. 

There  was  a poor  man  who  lived  in  the  country,  five 
hundred  li  distant  from  Soul,  His  wife  was  very  anx- 
ious for  her  husband  having  to  suffer  to  go  to  Soul  by 
foot.  One  day  there  came  a watermelon  seller.  Now 
this  village  was  in  a deep  valley  of  the  mountain,  and 
she  had  never  seen  a watermelon  before.  She  asked, 
“What  is  it?” 

The  merchant  saw  the  woman  was  simple  and  easily 
deceived,  and  replied,  “ It  is  an  egg  of  a donkey.  If 
you  wrap  it  with  cotton  and  keep  it  in  a warm  place  of 
the  room,  you  would  see  a small  donkey  after  a few 
days.”  “ What  is  the  price  ? ” “ One  thousand  cash,” 

said  the  man.  The  woman  had  only  three  hundred 
cash.  She  asked  the  merchant  if  he  would  sell  one  for 
three  hundred  cash.  Then  she  bought  it.  A few  days 
after,  her  husband  came  back.  She  was  very  glad  to 
come  out  to  meet  him,  and  said,  “ I bought  a donkey 
during  your  absence,  and  you  will  never  suffer  when 
you  go  to  examination  after  this.”  “ How  could  you 
buy  it?”  asked  her  husband.  “ I had  money,  but  it 
was  too  little  to  buy  a big  donkey,  so  I bought  a don- 
key’s egg,  and  it  is  nearly  already  to  hatch,”  said  she. 
“ How  can  a donkey  have  eggs  ? Let  me  see  what 
you  bought.”  She  showed  it  to  him  under  a coverlet, 
but  he  found  a watermelon  half  rotten.  “ How  much 
did  you  pay  for  it  ?”  he  said.  “ The  merchant  wanted 
one  thousand  cash,  but  I paid  three  hundred,”  said 
she.  The  husband  was  very  angry,  for  they  were  so 
poor,  to  think  his  wife  had  bought  a watermelon  for 
three  hundred  cash  when  it  was  not  thirty  cash  worth, 
so  he  threw  it  under  the  fence,  d'here  was  a rabbit 
under  the  fence,  and  it  ran  away  with  great  fright. 
The  woman  cried  and  said,  “ Is  not  it  an  egg  of  a don- 


21  I 


key?  The  young  donkey  has  run  away.  Why  did 
you  not  wait  a little  longer?”  The  man  then  also 
believed  it  was  really  an  egg  of  a donkey.  He  ran 
after  the  rabbit,  but  the  rabbit  ran  into  a gentleman’s 
barn  and  hid  under  the  manger.  Then  he  went  to 
the  gentleman  and  told  the  story  about  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  he  wanted  to  take  his  young  donkey  back. 
“ My  donkey  has  born  a young  one  to-day;  why  are 
you  going  to  take  it  by  force?”  The  man  answered, 
“ Generally  a donkey  bears  only  one  young;  if  there 
are  two,  the  one  is  yours,  the  other  is  mine.”  Then 
they  went  to  the  barn  and  found  there  were  two  young 
donkeys.  “ There’s  no  doubt  about  it,”  said  the  gen- 
tleman to  the  man,”  but  as  it  was  born  from  the  egg  it 
has  no  mother  donkey  to  care  for  it,  so  you  may  keep 
it  here  until  it  can  eat  grain.” 

Hats  in  Korea. 

By  Rosetta  Sherwood  Hall,  in  The  Classmate. 

'I'he  Korean  man’s  hat  costs  more  than  any  other 
one  article  of  wearing  apparel — more  than  his  shoes, 
more  than  his  overcoat  ! And  yet  it  is  of  the  least 
.utility  ; it  is  so  thin  and  gauzelike  that  it  affords  little 
protection  from  either  the  cold  in  winter  or  the  sun  in 
summer.  It  is  very  easily  broken,  and  if  caught  in  the 
rain  it  is  ruined.  It  seems  as  if  they  serve  to  mark 
one’s  place  or  condition  in  life  more  than  any  other 
purpose.  As  womankind  is  not  supposed  to  be  seen 
outside  of  her  own  household,  a hat  is  not  provided 
for  her,  and  this  correctly  marks  her  as  belonging  to 
the  lowest  order  of  society.  Boys  and  the  cooly  class 
also  have  no  hats;  and  these  poor,  hatless  people  are 
addressed  in  lower  forms  of  speech  and  treated  with 
much  less  respect  than  the  fortunate  individual  who 


KOREAN  HATS. 


213 


wears  a hat.  Then,  again,  one  can  tell  by  the  hat 
whether  the  man  under  it  is  a farmer,  a priest,  a 
mourner,  a soldier,  a gentleman  of  the  upper  class,  a 
scholar,  or  a palace  official. 

The  artist  has  represented  several  of  these  different 
styles  of  hats  in  the  picture.  That  in  most  general 

use  is  the  one  at  the  top.  They  are  most  commonly 

made  of  bamboo,  split  to  the  fineness  of  thread,  and 
woven  with  flax,  and  so  lacquered  as  to  resemble  shin- 
ing black  horsehair.  Those  made  of  real  horsehair 
are  very  expensive  and  only  worn  by  the  higher 

classes.  The  brim  of  this  hat  is  about  five  inches 
wide;  it  is  perfectly  circular  and  flat;  the  crown  is 
six  inches  in  diameter  and  about  five  in  height, 

slightly  tapering,  with  a flat  top  five  inches  in  diam- 
eter. 'The  “ old  Mother  Goose  ” style  of  hat  beginning 
to  be  worn  by  some  American  women,  reminds  one 
strongly  of  the  Korean  hat.  The  crown  being  too 
small  to  fit  on  the  head,  and  the  entire  hat  so  light — 
not  weighing  two  ounces — the  softest  summer  breeze 
would  blow  it  from  the  head,  strings  of  black  silk 
gauze  are  attached  and  tied  beneath  the  chin  ; or  there 
may  be  used  instead,  strings  of  amber  beads,  which  are 
considered  very  ornamental.  Pins  are  not  among  the 
inventions  of  Korea,  but  the  hat  pin  would  surely 
prove  most  useful,  for  the  men  all  have  long  hair,  and 
it  is  done  up  on  top  of  the  head  in  a tight  twist  about 
three  inches  perpendicular.  It  is  quite  the  proper 
thing  for  this  topknot  to  show  through  the  thin  walls 
of  the  hat.  When  the  country  is  in  mourning  for 
some  member  of  the  royal  family,  then  white  hats  with 
white  strings  replace  the  black  ones. 

The  three-storied,  gauzelike  affair  the  artist  has 
drawn  at  the  left  of  the  picture  is  known  as  the 


“scholar’s  cap.”  It  is  made  of  horsehair,  and  was 
formerly  worn  only  by  those  who  had  taken  a literary 
degree.  To  the  right  there  is  the  “ palace-going  hat,” 
which  is  also  made  of  horsehair  ; it  has  winglike  projec- 
tions, supposed  to  aid  in  catching  his  majesty’s  words. 
As  its  name  implies,  it  is  only  worn  by  officials  who 
have  business  at  the  palace.  One  exception  is  made 
to  this  rule,  men  upon  their  wedding  day  are  allowed, 
if  their  means  permit,  to  rent  the  whole  palace-going 
dress,  including  the  hat,  and  for  this  one  day  in  their 
lives  even  common  men  can  dress  like  princes.  Be- 
neath is  represented  a cap  made  of  black  silk  gauze, 
ornamented  with  gilt,  with  a caj)e  flowing  from  the 
back.  This  is  sometimes  worn  by  little  boys  at  the 
New'  Year  holiday  only.  There  is  another  ornamental 
cap  made  mostly  of  strings  of  beads  that  may  be  given 
to  a baby,  together  with  its  first  embroidered  socks, 
wdien  it  is  one  hundred  days  old. 

Now  let  us  notice  the  picture  in  the  center.  Here 
we  have  a farmer  boy;  he  is  only  a boy  and  not  a man, 
as  may  be  told  by  his  parted  hair,  wdiich  hangs  in  a 
braid  down  his  back  instead  of  being  put  up  in  the 
manly  topknot.  He  is  just  coming  in  from  the  coun- 
try with  a basket  of  farm  produce,  w'hich,  instead  of 
being  balanced  on  a pole  over  his  shoulder  as  the 
Chinese  would  carry  it,  is  placed  upon  a carrying  rack, 
called  a “jiggy,”  borne  upon  the  back;  very 

heavy  burdens  are  carried  this  w'ay.  His  jacket  and 
trousers  are  made  of  white  cotton  cloth,  loose  and 
baggy,  as  the  style  is  in  Korea  ; he  has  rope  shoes  on  his 
feet,  and  in  his  hand  is  the  “farmer’s  hat.”  This  is 
one  of  the  largest  of  Korean  hats,  its  hexagonal  brim 
measuring  nearly  eight  feet  in  circumference;  it  is  very 
bluntly  cone-shaped,  like  an  umbrella,  and  is  plaited  of 


215 


coarse  reeds  or  splints.  Of  much  the  same  shape  and 
size  is  the  “mourner’s  hat;  ” it  is  made  of  quite  fine 
bamboo  splints  uncolored.  Besides  this  immense  hat, 
completely  hiding  the  upper  half  of  the  face,  the  Korean 
mourner  covers  the  lower  half  of  his  face  with  a piece 
of  coarse  grasscloth  stretched  from  two  sticks  which, 
wound  with  the  same  cloth,  extend  as  handles.  Before 
this  mourning  headgear  was  devised,  mourners  were 
supposed  to  remain  at  home  attending  to  no  form  of 
business,  until  the  whole  three  years  of  mourning  had 
passed.  Do  not  imagine  the  Korean  mourner  observes 
this  custom  for  his  wife  ; no,  it  is  for  his  father. 
Should  his  wife  die  he  simply  uses  for  a brief  period 
unbleached  grass-cloth  strings  to  tie  his  trousers  at  the 
ankle,  and  to  gird  them  at  the  waist  instead  of  the  colored 
strings  generally  used. 

The  hat  of  the  Korean  Buddhist  priest  is  very  sim- 
ilar to  the  mourner’s  hat,  but  not  quite  so  large.  The 
soldiers  wear  hats  of  coarse  black  felt,  in  shape  and 
size  about  like  the  first  hat  described.  Official  chair 
coolies  also  wear  coarse  felt  hats  of  a brownish  color, 
with  a rounded  toj),  and  with  red  plumes. 

As  has  before  been  intimated,  in  Korea  only  men — 
married  men — wear  hats.  Every  boy  looks  forward  with 
eager  longing  to  that  happy  day  when  his  crown  may  be 
shaved,  and  his  long  hair  combed  up  over  it  and 
twisted  into  the  beloved  topknot — the  loose  or  straggling 
short  hairs  are  held  up  by  means  of  the  headband, 
which  is  a net  made  of  either  horsehair,  or,  the  finest 
ones  of  human  hair;  it  is  bound  on  its  lower  edge  with 
black  satin,  and  by  means  of  strings  and  small  rings 
attached  at  the  ends  it  is  drawn  very  tightly  about  the 
head,  passing  across  the  upper  part  of  forehead  as 
shown  in  the  picture.  This  arrangement  is  called  a 


A KOREAN  MOURNER, 


217 


mang  kun^  and  it  is  much  more  neat  than  it  is  com- 
fortable. Crowning  all,  now  comes  the  hat,  and  the 
boy,  though  he  may  not  be  more  than  ten  or  twelve 
years  of  age,  emerges  at  once  into  the  dignity  of  man- 
hood, invested  with  all  its  privileges.  The  name  by 
which  he  has  been  known  as  a boy  is  put  aside,  and 
there  is  added  to  his  surname  a generation  and  a 
given  name  by  which  he  is  henceforth  known.  He 
now  offers  sacrifice  before  the  tablets  of  his  ancestors, 
and  calls  upon  his  father’s  friends,  being  received  for 
the  first  time  in  his  life  as  their  equal.  Perhaps  not 
the  least  of  the  rights  belonging  to  this  newly-made 
man  is  that  of  marriage,  the  ceremony  of  which  is 
usually  performed  the  same  day  he  puts  up  his  hair 
ajid  assumes  the  hat. 

The  Korean  word  for  hat  is  kot.  When  a Korean  en- 
ters a house  to  make  a call,  he  leaves  his  shoes  at  the  door, 
but  keeps  his  hat  on.  Even  at  dinner  he  would  not  re- 
move it ; he  might  take  it  off  at  home  with  his  most  inti- 
mate friends,  but  never  in  the  presence  of  a superior. 

From  the  Official  Minutes  of  the  Tenth  Annual 
Meeting  of  the  Korea  Mission  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Wednesday,  January  23,  1895. 

Deiwtional. — Devotional  exercises  were  conducted  by 
Bishop  Joyce. 

Journal. — Journal  read  and  approved  as  read. 

Resolutions. — The  following  resolution,  prepared  by 
G.  H.  Jones,  was  presented  and  adopted. 

“ In  the  latter  end  of  18^4  the  Board  appointed  Wm. 
B.  Scranton,  M.D.,  of  Cleveland,  O.,  and  Henry  G. 
Appenzeller,  a student  in  Drew  Theological  Seminary, 
its  first  missionaries  to  Korea,  and  directed  them  to 
28  . 


2i8 


IDroceed  to  that  country  and  found  a mission,  to  be  car- 
ried on  under  the  auspices  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  On  the  night  of  December  4,  i8j4,  now  fa- 
mous in  Korean  history  as  the  date  of  the  hneute^  Bishop 
Fowler,  unconscious  of  the  bloody  scenes  being  enacted 
in  Korea  at  the  time,  ordained  Dr.  Scranton,  in  New 
York  city,  to  deacon’s  and  elder’s  orders  for  the  pur- 
poses of  missionary  ])ropaganda  in  that  country. 

“ The  two  brethren  started  for  Korea.  At  San  Fran- 
cisco, on  February  2,  18^5,  ihe  day  before  they  set  sail 
from  their  native  land.  Bishop  Fowler  ordained  brother 
Appenzeller  to  deacon’s  and  elder’s  orders.  Brother 
Appenzeller  was  the  first  to  reach  Korea,  coming  as  far 
as  Chemulpo,  where  he  landed  April  5,  1885.  After  a 
short  experience  of  the  pseudo-hotels  and  embryonic 
character  of  tliat  place  he  retraced  his  route  to  Japan, 
returning  again  to  Korea  with  Dr.  Scranton’s  family, 
whither  Dr.  Scranton  had,  in  May,  preceded  them.  Dr. 
Scranton  was  the  first  of  our  mission  to  reach  Soul, 
where  he  arrived  May  3,  1885.  These  brethren  came 
into  a land  of  which  little  was  known  by  Christian 
nations  ; to  a city  where  the  hardly  cooled  embers  of 
bloody  political  strife  threatened  at  any  moment  to 
burst  out  afresh  ; to  a peoi)le  who  had  been  trained  for 
generations  to  look  with  suspicion  upon  all  men  of 
western  nations.  Amid  blind  alleyways,  mud  huts, 
cesspools,  and  indescribable  sanitary  conditions  they  set 
up  their  homes  ; they  grappled  with  the  mysteries  of 
an  unknown  tongue;  they  set  themselves  to  work  to 
master  the  conditions  of  the  field  to  which,  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  the  Church  had  assigned  them,  and  in 
the  face  of  an  avowed  hostility  to  the  religion  of  Christ 
began  to  lay  the  foundations  of  the  Redeemer’s  king- 
dom in  Korea. 


“With  no  desire  to  lavish  praise,  it  is  but  meet  that 
their  history  should  be  recorded.  Through  all  the 
cholera  scourge  of  1886,  when  thousands  died  in  Soul 
and  the  gates  of  the  city  were  never  closed — to  allow  the 
unending  procession  of  the  dead  to  pass  under  them — 
they  and  their  families  remained  at  their  posts  to  do 
what  they  could  in  Christ’s  name.  More  than  once 
peril  to  life  and  property  has  threatened,  but  never  once 
did  these  brethren  falter. 

“To-day  they  look  upon  a mission  which  has  grown 
from  two  families  and  one  Woman’s  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society  worker  to  six  families  and  six  Woman’s 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  workers  ; upon  a church 
which  numbers,  of  our  own  communion,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  souls,  and  which  has  spread  from  Soul  into  the 
provinces;  upon  the  broad  beginnings  of  a Christian 
literature  and  a Christian  school  system.  Therefore, 
be  it 

Resolved,  That  this  Annual  Meeting  extends  its  sin- 
cerest  and  heartiest  congratulations  to  Brothers  Scran- 
ton and  Appenzeller  and  their  noble  wives  upon  having 
completed,  amid  circumstances  so  complimentary  to 
themselves,  the  first  ten  years  of  missionary  effort  in 
Korea  ; and  as  a testimonial  to  them  we  direct  that  this 
paper  be  inscribed  in  the  journal  of  this  meeting  and 
published  in  the  printed  Minutes.’’ 

Woman’s  Work  in  Korea. 

By  Lillias  H.  Underwood,  M.D.,  in  the  Korean  Repository. 

The  history  of  woman’s  work  in  the  Presbyterian 
Mission  during  the  past  ten  years  has  been  that  of  be- 
ginnings. We  have  been  preparing  the  ground  and 
laying  foundations,  and  the  few  fruits  to  which  we  can 
point  represent  in  no  way  the  results  of  the  work  that 


< 


KOREAN  FUNERAT.  PROCESSION. 


221 


God  has  done  and  is  doing  by  us.  As  we  review  the 
past  we  see  mistakes  and  errors,  steps  taken  wrongly 
and  sadly  retraced,  but  over  all  God’s  continued  bless- 
ing and  a slow  but  sure  and  steady  growth,  a great  in- 
crease of  interest  on  all  sides,  a good  foundation  laid, 
and  a band  of  earnest,  strong-hearted  young  mission- 
aries, some  of  whom,  with  the  language  now  ready  for 
effective  work,  are  stepping  forth  to  the  rescue  of  their 
Korean  sisters.  We  see  not  a few  native  Christian 
homes  where  Korean  mothers  are  teaching  their  little 
ones  to  pray  and  sing,  “Jesus  loves  me.”  We  see  a 
band  of  bright  little  girls  gathered  in  a healthful,  happy 
school,  in  a locality  where  they  are  as  a city  set  upon  a 
hill,  being'  taught  to  be  useful,  practical  Christian 
women.  We  see  that  women’s  Gospel  meetings  and 
Bible  classes  are  being  held  not  only  in  Soul  but  in 
various  places  in  the  country  as  well ; and  we  see  great 
numbers  of  women  receiving  medical  aid,  and  with  it 
the  word  of  God  from  three,  and  in  a short  time  we 
hope  to  say  four,  dispensaries  in  this  city,  as  well  as  one  in 
Fusan.  Not  the  least  among  the  blessings  granted  by  our 
gracious  Master  has  been  the  unity  and  sincere  affection 
which  marked  our  relation  with  the  devoted  women  of 
our  sister  mission,  and  may  God  grant  that  the  past  in  this 
respect  at  least  may  cast  a long  shadow  into  the  future. 

But  the  lines  of  our  influence  include  more  than 
schools,  hospitals,  and  Bible  classes.  Innumerable 
women  are  received  into  our  homes  as  sight-seers.  Nor 
is  it  the  least  difflcult  part  of  a labor  of  love  for  a busy 
housekeeper  to  drop  everything,  from  the  bread  to  the 
baby,  and  in  season  and  out  of  season  be  ready  to 
speak  a word  to  these  ubiquitious  visitors.  To  these 
women  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  are  carefully  stated,  and 
many  of  them  carry  away  tracts  and  leaflets. 


222 


Nor  is  this  all.  Constant,  faithful  visitation  is  being 
m’ade  to  the  homes,  more  and  more  of  which  are  open- 
ing to  us  ; frequent  trips  have  been  made  to  the  river 
villages  and  for  nearly  a hundred  miles  into  the  coun- 
try in  different  directions.  One  of  our  ladies  has  car- 
ried the  Gospel  across  the  peninsula  to  Wonsan  ; one 
south  to  Chun  Choo  and  one  north  to  the  Chinese  bor- 
der in  Wi-ju ; and  we  like  to  think  that  thus,  in  the  form 
of  the  cross,  has  the  story  of  the  Cross  been  carried. 

Ten  years  ago  it  was  thought  hardly  safe  for  ladies  to 
enter  Korea  as  missionaries,  and  seven  years  ago  the 
writer’s  life  was  threatened  on  the  street,  and  her  chair 
bearers  told  they  should  die — if  they  carried  her  to  the 
hospital,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  go  there  on  horse- 
back for  a day  or  two.  This  year  the  Gospel  was 
preached  to  the  queen  (would  God  it  had  been  done 
oftener  and  more  persistently  ! ),  and  her  majesty 
thanked  us  for  the  good  work  we  were  doing  for  the 
Korean  women  and  girls. 

We  believe  the  first  woman  converted  in  Korea  was 
one  who  died  at  the  hospital  in  the  very  early  days. 
Told  by  Dr.  Allen  of  a bright  world  beyond,  free  from 
sickness  and  sorrow,  she  died  with  smiles  of  joy,  ex- 
claiming, “ For  me,- for  me  ! ” Dr.  Allen  and  Dr.  Heron 
treated  many  women  at  the  hospital,  and  many  came  to 
their  homes.  Mrs.  Heron  after  a while  received  a class 
of  women  twice  a week,  several  of  whom  were  among 
the  first  members  of  our  church  baptized  in  1888. 
Some  of  these  are  still  with  us,  some  have  fallen  asleep, 
while  one  has  found  that  she  was  not  of  us. 

Miss  Ellers,  the  first  trained  nurse  in  Korea,  arrived 
in  1886.  She  saw  large  numbers  of  patients  at  the 
hospital  and  won  high  favor  at  the  palace.  Within  a 
year  she  became  Mrs.  Bunker,  and  the  writer  was  sent 


223 


out.  One  year  after  her  arrival,  the  first  trip  into  the 
country  made  by  a foreign  woman  was  taken,  going  as 
far  as  We  Ju.  Thousands  of  Korean  women  were  seen, 
books  and  medicines  were  widely  distributed.  With  a 
picture  book  and  a small  moiety  of  the  language,  an  ef- 
fort was  made  to  tell  the  women  the  story  of  a Saviour. 
This  at  Songdo,  Whang-ju,  Pyong  Yang,  Ano-ju,  Kang- 
ga,  Wi-ju,  and  many  smaller  places.  Miss  Hayden 
arrived  in  1888  and  took  charge  of  the  little  girl  whom 
Mrs.  Bunker  had  been  teaching  as  the  first  pupil  in  the 
girls’  school.  She  is  now,  by  the  way,  a dear  little  Chris- 
tian mother.  On  my  return  from  Wi-ju  another 
Bible  class  was  started.  From  this  nucleus  a regular 
Sunday  service  was  opened,  and  the  meetings  were  taken 
in'  charge  later  by  Mrs.  Gifford,  who  has  kept  them  up 
ever  since. 

When  sickness  deprived  the  mission  of  a woman 
physician  in  1890,  Dr.  Heron,  and  later  Dr.  Vinton- 
followed  again  by  Dr.  Avison — received  and  treated 
thousands  of  women. 

Mrs.  Heron,  some  time  after  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band, instituted  a Saturday  sewing  and  Bible  class,  and 
somewhat  later  a series  of  regular  weekly  visits  among 
Korean  ladies.  Miss  Doty  arrived  in  1890  and  joined 
Mrs.  Gifford  in  the  care  of  the  school.  Mrs.  Baird  came 
in  February,  1891,  Mrs.  Vinton  in  1891,  and  in  quick 
succession  were  followed  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Brown,  Mrs. 
Moore,  Miss  Arbuckle,  Miss  Strong,  Mrs.  Swallen,  Mrs. 
Miller;  and  also  by  the  ladies  of  the  Southern  Presby- 
terian Mission,  Mrs.  Reynolds,  Mrs.  Junkin,  Miss  Davis, 
and  Miss  Tate.  Our  own  mission  was  reinforced  later 
by  Mrs.  Avison,  who  arrived  here  in  1893,  Mrs.  Irvin, 
Mrs.  Lee  and  her  mother,  Mrs.  Webb;  the  following 
year  and  last  year  we  greeted  Mrs.  Dr.  Whiting  and 


224 


Miss  Jacobson.  The  latest  reinforcements  to  the 
Southern  Presbyterian  Mission  are  Mrs.  Drew  and  Mrs. 
Bell. 

The  first  lady  of  the  Australian  Presbyterian  Mission 
was  Miss  Davis,  who  arrived  in  1889,  and,  on  the  death 
of  her  devoted  brother,  returned  to  Australia  in  1890. 
The  Australian  ladies,  Miss  J.  Perry,  Miss  Menzies,  and 
Miss  Moore,  now  in  Korea,  have  been  in  Fusan  three 
years,  and  have  gathered  a promising  little  school  of 
twelve  pupils,  are  holding  three  Sabbath  and  several 
weekly  services  for  women  and  girls.  They  also  have 
a native  Bible  woman  who  takes  quite  extended  coun- 
try trips  and  visits  the  women  of  the  villages.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Baird  left  Soul  in  the  fall  of  1891  and  were  joined 
a year  later  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Brown.  In  1892,  Mrs. 
Gale  left  the  Soul  station  for  Wonsan,  followed,  in 
1894,  by  Mrs.  Swallen.  Miss  Arbuckle  was  moved  in 
1895  from  the  school  work  to  which  she  had  at  first 
been  appointed,  and  placed  at  the  government  hos- 
pital. Miss  Strong  was  also  obliged  to  leave  the  school 
on  account  of  sickness,  leaving  Miss  Doty  alone  with 
Korean  assistants.  The  school,  in  the  meanwhile,  has 
been  moved  to  a most  desirable  location  in  Yun  Mot 
Kohl,  and  domiciled  in  a commodious  building  in  the 
center  of  a thickly  settled  district.  Mrs.  Gifford  for  a 
long  time  was  the  only  woman  in  our  mission  able  to 
do  systematic  woman’s  work.  The  arrival  of  the  single 
ladies  of  our  own  and  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Mission  was  a much-needed  reinforcement.  Miss  Davis 
for  over  a year  has  been  reaching  great  numbers  of 
women  at  In  Sung  Putchai,  and  Miss  Tate  has  lent  her 
welcome  and  most  efficient  aid  at  hospitals  and  wom- 
en’s meetings,  and  for  over  a year  has  been  conducting 
women’s  meetings  at  Yak  Kuin.  She  a^o  made  a long 


225 


trip  to  the  south,  carried  the  Gospel  to  hundreds  of 
women  there,  and  last  month  left  Soul  to  make  Chun 
Chu  her  permanent  field  of  labor. 

The  number  of  women  attending  these  various  meet- 
ings is  large  and  steadily  increasing.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  the  meetings  held  at  other  places. 

We  are  seeking  by  these  varied  agencies  to  “sow 
beside  all  waters.”  Often,  alas,  only  weakly  and  half- 
heartedly the  seed  has  been  sown,  and  is  now  germi- 
nating out  of  sight  to  bring  forth  in  the  next  decade  a 
glorious  harvest;  but,  like  little  children,  we  cannot 
wait  ; we  want  to  dig  up  our  seeds,  count  them,  and  see 
if  they  are  growing.  Let  us  rather  trust  the  Lord  and 
calmly  abide  the  sure  result.  I believe  and  am  sure  it 
is  the  ambition  of  us  all  to  seek  to  establish  the  true 
knowledge  and  pure  worship  and  faith  of  the  one  true 
God  and  His  Son,  our  blessed  Saviour.  We  are  not  as 
eager  to  see  a large  number  of  women  entered  on  our 
rolls  as  to  be  sure  that  the  Gospel  in  purity  and  sim- 
plicity is  being  spread  far  and  wide.  God  alone  can 
bless  His  word  ; we  alone,  in  the  mystery  of  His  will, 
can  publish  it.  He  can  and  must  gather  in  the  fruits, 
we  only  sow  the  seed.  His  book  is  the  only  reliable 
church  roll  of  members,  but  He  will  require  from  us  an 
account  of  how  we  have  published  His  call.  Ah  ! how 
poor,  how  small  our  work  appears,  as  we  look  it  over  on 
the  human  side.  How  full  of  mercy  and  grace  on  the 
divine  side.  In  this  alone  we  take  heart  for  the  future, 
“Looking  unto  Jesus.” 

Soul,  Korea,  January^  1896. 

29 


226 


Woman’s  Work  in  Korea. 

By  Mrs.  M.  F.  Scranton,  in  Korean  Repository . 

The  Korean  work  of  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  may  be 
said  to  have  had  its  beginning  in  the  little  town  of 
Revenna,  O.,  in  September  of  the  year  1883.  ^ 

district  missionary  meeting  was  being  held  there,  at 
which  time  work  in  India  and  Japan  was  given  par- 
ticular prominence.  The  unopened  field  of  Korea  had 
not  entered  into  the  thought  of  the  speaker  of  the  day. 
One  dear  old  lady  was  present,  however,  whose  heart 
and  eye  the  Lord  had  opened  to  see  and  feel  for  those 
whom  all  pthers  present  had  forgotten.  She  rose  and 
said  she  had  a small  sum  of  money  which  she  had 
dedicated  to  God.  She  wished  to  place  it  in  the  hands 
of  the  Missionary  Society  to  be  held  in  trust  until  such 
time  as  Korea  should  be  opened  to  the  Gospel.  She 
expressed  the  earnest  hope  that  it  might  be  the  nucleus 
around  which  other  sums  should  speedily  gather  that 
the  women  and  girls  of  Korea  also  might  be  brought  to 
a knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  It  is  certain 
that  from  this  time  forward  prayers  went  heavenward 
for  this  dark  land. 

In  October  of  the  following  year  the  first  representa- 
tive of  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  to 
Korea,  Mrs.  M.  F.  Scranton  was  appointed. 

A speedy  going  forth  to  the  field  was  planned  for 
and  anticipated.  Political  disturbances,  however,  held 
us  back,  and  it  was  June  20,  1885,  when  we  first  set 
foot  on  Korean  soil.  You  who  have  come  more  re- 
cently, can,  I think,  scarcely  realize  the  difference  be- 
tween the  Korea  of  to-day  and  the  country  to  which  we 
came  more  than  ten  years  ago.  To-day  there  are 
gleams  of  brightness  and  promise  all  along  the  horizon. 


22/ 


Then  it  was  only  as  we  looked  upward  and  beyond  the 
stars  that  we  could  see  a ray  of  light  or  hope.  The 
presence  of  the  foreigner  was  not  desired.  We  were 
counseled  by  our  United  States  representatives  to  use 
the  utmost  caution  in  manner  and  speech.  W^e  were 
not  expected  to  make  manifest  in  any  way  the  designs 
we  had  in  coming  to  the  country.  Nothing  remained, 
therefore,  for  us  to  do  but  to  win  hearts,  if  such  a thing 
lay  within  the  range  of  possibilities,  and  acquire  the 
language.  Both  of  these  under  the  circumstances 
proved  difficult.  Our  presence  on  the  street  in  too 
close  proximity  to  the  women’s  apartments  was  often- 
times the  signal  for  the  rapid  closing  of  doors  ajid  speedy 
retreat  behind  screens,  while  children  ran  screaming 
with  as  much  lung  power  as  they  could  bring  to  bear  on 
the  occasion.  Then,  too,  how  could  one  expect  quickly 
to  acquire  the  language  when  there  were  no  books,  no 
teachers  worthy  of  the  name,  and  no  interpreters  whose 
knowledge  went  further  than  the  simplest  form  of , 
speech.  It  was  no  great  feat  to  get  a vocabulary  of  I 
nouns,  but  when  it  came  to  verbs  and  we  were  obliged 
to  “act”  them,  it  sometimes  became  puzzling,  not  to  j 
say  ludicrous. 

We  had  no  fine  houses  in  those  days.  My  drawing 
room  and  study  was  eight  feet  by  twelve.  On  all  sides 
but  one  (that  leading  to  my  sleeping  apartment)  there 
were  only  paper  partitions  between  me  and  the  outside 
world.  This,  during  the  summer,  was  not  a serious 
defect,  but  when  winter  came  it  had  its  objections. 
There  was  no  window  glass  anywhere  to  let  in  the 
brightness  and  sunshine,  until  one  happy  day  Mr. 
Foulk,  our  charge  d'affaires^  made  me  a present  of  three 
photograph  plates,  'bhese  I thankfully,  if  not  proudly, 
inserted  in  the  window  near  my  desk,  and  once  more 


228 


rejoiced  in  being  able  to  see,  at  least  with  one  eye  at  a 
time,  the  light  of  heaven  again. 

I suppose  missionaries  ought  to  be  so  far  above  the 
earth  as  never  to  think  of  the  “what  shall  we  eat;”  but 
in  this  respect  I am  quite  confident  the  first  representa- 
: tives  to  Korea,  during  their  first  summer,  signally  failed. 

The  meal  in  the  barrel,  if  it  did  not  “waste,”  turned  sour, 
which  was  nearly  as  bad,  and  Japan  and  China  were  far 
away.  Beef  was  forbidden  on  account  of  disease 
among  the  cattle.  Of  potatoes  and  other  vegetables, 
there  were  none.  But  there  were  chickens  and  eggs. 
While  we  were  forced  to  acknowledge  that  in  outward 
appearanqe  these  resembled  those  we  call  by  that  name 
in  the  home  land,  the  taste  we  thought  as  different  as 
the  two  countries  themselves.  But  we  ate  them,  “ not 
one  day,  nor  two  days,  nor  five  days,  neither  ten  days; 
but  even  a whole  moqth,”  two  months,  “until  they 
came  out  at  our  nostrils.”  Is  it  any  wonder  that  even 
missionaries  sometimes  longed  for  “the  leeks  and 
onions  of  Egypt  ?” 

The  experiences  of  the  first  few  months,  while  not 
free  from  trials  and  annoyances  of  various  kinds,  were 
nevertheless,  on  the  whole,  very  pleasant  ones.  A day 
was  never  so  dark  but  that  at  its  close  we  could 
honestly  say,  “We  are  glad  to  be  in  Korea.”  Whether 
we  won  the  people’s  hearts  or  no,  it  is  certain  they  won 
ours,  and  the  desire  grew  more  and  more  intense  to  be 
a blessing  to  them. 

Firmly  believing  that  for  the  most  speedy  advance- 
ment of  the  country  the  women  and  girls  must  be 
educated,  plans  were  early  formed  for  the  fitting  up  of 
a home  and  school  building.  The  first  purchase  of 
property  was  made  in  October,  1885.  It  consisted  of 
nineteen  straw  huts  and  a very  unsightly  strip  of 


EWA  HAK  TANG,  IN  SOUL,  THE  FIRST  GIRLS’  SCHOOL  IN 


230 


unoccupied  land.  To  eyes  which  looked  on  that  picture, 
the  one  which  now  presents  itself  seems  one  of  beauty. 
The  huts  have  been  transformed  into  a home  worthy  of 
the  name  ; the  barren  sands  have  become  a grassy  lawn, 
and  the  stony  lane  and  foul  gutters  have  been  hidden 
away  under  green  terraces. 

All  possible  preparations  for  building  were  made 
during  the  winter  of  1885,  and  early  in  the  spring  of 
1886  the  work  was  commenced.  The  shouts  of  the 
workmen  as  they  prepared  the  ground,  tramping  and 
stamping  to  the  beat  of  the  drum,  was  far  sweeter 
music  than  such  sounds  ordinarily  are.  I felt  that 
every  step  brought  me  nearer  the  day  when  I should, 
through  the  school,  get  into  closer  relation  to  the 
people  whom  I so  longed  to  help.  The  “shoutings” 
which  brought  forth  the  plain  upon  which  to  erect 
our  house,  drew  from  my  heart  the  echo,  “ Grace,  grace 
unto  it.” 

In  November  of  the  same  year,  we  took  possession  of 
the  home,  though  much  more  work  remained  to  be  done. 
We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  ]\1.  E.  Blackstone,  of  Oak  Park, 
111.,  for  a large  portion  of  the  money  spent  in  the  erec- 
tion of  our  home  and  school  building. 

School  work  was  commenced  in  the  house  of  Dr. 
Scranton  six  months  previous  to  the  removal  to  the  new 
home.  It  began  with  one  scholar.  She  was  the 
concubine  of  an  official  who  was  desirous  his  wife 
should  learn  English,  with  the  hope  that  she  might 
some  time  become  interpreter  for  the  queen.  She  re- 
mained with  us  only  about  three  months.  The  first 
permanent  pupil  came  in  June,  1886,  one  month  later 
than  Mrs.  Kim.  Poverty  unquestionably  brought  the 
girl  to  us,  but  not  many  days  had  passed  before  the 
mother  felt  it  better  to  brave  poverty  rather  than  trust 


231 


her  child  to  a foreigner.  The  neighbors  accused  her  of 
being  a bad  woman  and  an  unnatural  mother,  or  she 
would  never  have  trusted  her  to  the  No  Pou  I?i.  They 
said  it  might  be  well  for  a little  time  ; there  would  be 
plenty  of  food  and  of  good  clothes,  but  by  and  by  she 
would  be  carried  away  to  America,  and  what  her  fate 
would  be  there  no  one  could  tell.  An  assurance  was 
finally  given  in  writing  that  the  child  should  never  be 
carried  out  of  the  country,  which  partially  satisfied  the 
mother  for  a while,  though  it  was  several  months  before 
she  was  really  at  ease. 

The  second  pupil  was  a little  waif  who,  with  her  sick 
mother,  was  picked  up  out  by  the  city  wall  by  Dr. 
Scranton  and  taken  first  to  his  hospital  for  treatment. 

Koreans  watched  these  girls  very  closely.  As  they 
did  not  find  them  unhappy  or  ill  treated  other  mothers 
gradually  gained  a little  confidence,  and  at  the  time 
of  removal  to  the  home  on  the  hill  the  school  num- 
bered four,  and  the  following  January  we  counted 
seven. 

School  duties,  had  they  been  the  only  ones,  would 
not  have  been  arduous  for  one  person  to  perform  alone; 
but  these,  added  to  the  care  of  building  and  many  other 
pursuits  and  responsibilities,  made  a burden  far  too 
heavy  for  the  one  representative  in  the  field. 

October  20,  1887,  however,  brought  us  relief.  It  was 
marked  a “red-letter  day  ” in  our  calendar,  for  it 
brought  us  Miss  L.  C.  Rothweiler  and  Dr.  Meta  How- 
ard. Miss  Rothweiler  immediately  entered  upon  school 
work,  and  Dr.  Howard  went  to  our  Parent  Board  Hos- 
pital, where,  with  the  help  of  Dr.  Scranton,  she  was  able 
to  begin  medical  work  among  the  women.  She  contin- 
ued there  until  November  of  the  next  year,  when  we 
removed  to  a hospital  of  our  own. 


In  January,  1888,  we  organized  a Sunday  school. 
Members  of  our  household  had,  of  course,  always  re- 
ceived more  or  less  religious  instruction,  but  it  had 
been  thought  expedient  that  it  should  be  given  in  most 
informal  ways.  We  felt  that  now  the  time  had  arrived 
for  us  to  vindicate  our  right  to  be  called  “Methodists,” 
by  being  more  systematic  and  orderly  in  our  assem- 
bling and  teaching.  School  opened  with  twelve  girls, 
three  native  women,  the  three  missionaries  of  the 
home,  and  one  of  our  parent  board  ladies. 

One  month  later  meetings  were  commenced  among 
the  women.  This  step  would  not  have  been  taken 
quite  so  early  had  it  not  been  for  the  repeated  requests 
of  the  Korean  Christian  men.  They  said,  “We  are  be- 
ing taught;  why  should  not  our  wives  learn  the  doc- 
trine also.”  We  told  them  over  and  over  again  that 
our  opportunities  for  study  had  been  so  limited  we 
knew  too  little  of  the  language  to  take  up  the  work  of 
formally  teaching  any  but  members  of  the  household. 
Our  words  had  no  effect  upon  them  ; they  came  again 
and  again  with  the  same  request,  until  we  dared  not  re- 
fuse any  longer.  A few  women  seemed  glad  to  come. 
They  claimed  to  understand  our  words  and  to  be 
interested ; but  this  is  a subject  upon  which  I have 
always  had  my  doubts.  The  meetings  were  discontin- 
ued after  two  months  on  account  of  the  illness  and  en- 
forced absence  of  the  leader. 

The  following  May  an  order  was  received  from  our 
American  minister  bidding  us  cease  religious  instruc- 
tion of  every  kind  whatsoever.  The  Romanists  had 
committed  acts  which  brought  all  foreigners  into  dis- 
favor. China,  as  we  then  thought  and  now  believe, 
for  political  reasons  also  added  much  “ fuel  to  the 
flame.”  For  some  weeks  the  excitement  among  the 


233 


people, was  great,  and  the  lives  and  property  of  foreign- 
ers were  thought  to  be  in  peril.  Under  the  circum- 
stances we  decided  it  was  best  to  send  our  girls  to  their 
homes  until  the  trouble  should  be  over. 

Although  the  girls  were  glad  to  go  to  places  of  greater 
safety,  there  was  much  weeping  and  wailing  when  they 
came  to  bid  us  good-bye.  They  were  sure  we  were 
to  lose  our  lives,  and  they  would  never  see  our  faces 
again. 

On  two  different  occasions  a crowd  gathered  about 
our  gate  and  threatened  to  kill  our  servants.  Guards 
were  appointed,  who  vigilantly  patrolled  our  compounds, 
and  we  held  ourselves,  in  accordance  with  the  direc- 
tions of  our  United  States  minister,  in  constant  readi- 
ness to  leave  at  a moment’s  notice.  After  about  six 
weeks,  however,  the  disturbances  all  came  to  an  end. 
The  girls  returned  to  us  and  work  went  on  as  usual, 
with  the  exception  of  the  women’s  meetings,  which 
were  not  resumed  till  the  following  September.  At 
that  time  we  tried  the  experiment  of  having  one  of  the 
native  Christian  men  talk  to  the  women  from  behind  a 
screen.  These  meetings  were  largely  attended.  Many 
seemed  interested  and  many  only  curious.  In  the 
month  of  September  the  ordinance  of  baptism  was 
administered  to  three  women  ; they  received  the  names 
of  Mary,  Martha,  and  Salome.  After  this  we  had  a few 
months  of  prosperity.  We  believed  we  were  gaining 
the  confidence  of  the  people,  and  that  many  of  them 
were  being  convinced  that  the  doctrines  we  taught 
were  what  they  needed  for  their  salvation.  Suddenly 
we  were  again  forbidden  “ to  speak  at  all  or  teach  in 
the  name  of  Jesus.”  This  was  in  February,  1889.  We 
obeyed  in  part  ; that  is,  we  discontinued  public  teach- 
ing, but  continued  the  services  with  our  women  and 
30 


234 


girls  as  usual.  We  told  the  outside  women  they  must 
not  come  any  more.  They  were  scarcely  more  recon- 
ciled to  this  order  of  things  than  were  we,  and  fre- 
quently came  to  inquire  if  the  time  had  not  now 
arrived  when  they  could  come  to  us  as  formerly.  One 
Sunday  evening  a woman  ventured  to  come  notwith- 
standing the  injunction  which  had  peen  placed  upon  her. 
She  came  in  while  we  were  at  prayer,  dropped  down  in 
a corner  out  of  sight,  and  was  not  discovered  by  the 
leader  until  service  was  nearly  over.  At  the  close  of 
the  meeting  she  said:  ‘AVon’t  you  please  let  me  come 
every  Sunday  night  ? There  is  only  a little  rice  at  our 
house  and  not  much  wood,  and  living  is  very  difficult. 
Coming  here  and  listening  to  the  good  words  and  the 
sweet  songs  makes  my  heart  lighter.  Won’t  you  please 
let  me  come  every  Sunday.^  ” 

I assure  you  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  under  such 
circumstances  to  obey  the  “ powers  that  be,”  and  it 
was  not  many  months  before  we  forgot  all  about  “ laws  ” 
and  found  ourselves  at  work  in  evangelistic  lines  with 
more  energy  than  ever  before.  Before  many  weeks  we 
had  the  great  joy  of  seeing  the  rite  of  baptism  admin- 
istered to  three  of  our  girls  and  to  our  Enmoun  teacher. 
In  the  fall  of  1889  Dr.  Howard  was  obliged  to  leave  us 
on  account  of  her  health  and  returned  to  her  home  in 
America.  During  the  two  years  she  was  with  us  she 
treated  3,000  patients.  Shortly  after  this  daily  evan- 
gelistic services  were  begun  in  the  dispensary  waiting 
room.  These  have  been  continued  until  the  present 
and  have  been  productive  of  much  good. 

On  December  31  of  this  year  our  records  read  as 
follows  : Number  of  women  in  attendance  upon  our 
Sunday  evening  service  during  the  year,  not  including 
the  women  and  girls  of  our  own  household,  1,064  ; 


235 


patients  treated  by  parent  board  physicians,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  our  own  doctor,  2,000  ; number  of  pupils  in  the 
school,  26  ; number  of  probationers  in  the  church,  20. 

In  the  spring  of  1894  Mrs.  Dr.  Hall  accompanied 
her  husband  to  Pyong  Yang  with  the  full  purpose  of 
opening  both  medical  and  evangelistic  work  among  the 
women  of  that  city.  She  took  our  Esther  with  her  to 
assist  in  both  branches  of  the  work.  They  had  scarcely 
got  into  their  homes  before  a storm  of  persecution 
burst  upon  them.  For  a time  it  seemed  as  if  not  only 
their  lives  were  in  peril,  but  also  those  of  all  who  were 
in  any  way  connected  with  them.  Mrs.  Hall,  however, 
bravely  opened  her  dispensary  and  commenced  work 
as  calmly  as  if  on  the  wave  of  prosperity.  Esther,  too, 
began  to  teach  the  people.  A goodly  number  availed 
themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  consulting  the  foreign 
physician,  and  a few  came  to  the  religious  services. 
They  were  able  to  continue  this  work  for  about  one 
month  only,  having  been  ordered  by  the  English  consul, 
on  account  of  the  disturbed  state  of  the  country,  to 
return  to  Soul  at  once.  This  was  a great  regret  to 
Mrs.  Hall.  She  felt  that  an  important  work  could  be 
done  there  if  time  could  only  be  allowed  her.  She 
still  cherishes  the  hope  of  resuming  the  work  by  and  by. 

The  war  excitements  of  the  spring  and  summer  of 
1894  made  for  a time  sad  work  with  the  school.  The 
mothers  and  relatives  of  our  girls,  upon  the  coming  of 
the  Japanese  army  and  the  rumors  of  the  immense 
numbers  of  Chinese  in  the  North  who  were  soon  to 
swoop  down  upon  us,  became  much  alarmed,  and 
begged  to  be  permitted  to  take  their  children  away. 
They  said,  “ Perhaps  they  will  be  no  safer  with  us  than 
with  you,  but  since  we  shall  all  probably  die  we  wish 
to  die  together.”  Under  the  circumstances  we  could 


236 


not  refuse  to  let  the  girls  go,  and  it  seemed  at  one 
time  as  if  we  were  in  danger  of  losing  every  pupil  ex- 
cept such  as  had  no  home  or  friends.  But  this,  like 
other  excitements  to  which  we  are  subject  in  Korea, 
soon  subsided,  and  most  of  the  girls  were  thankful  to 
get  back  to  us  again.  A few  were  taken  to  other 
provinces,  and  we  have  never  seen  them  since.  Two 
or  three  mothers  also  improved  the  opportunity  to  give 
their  girls  away  in  very  early  marriage.  All  the  gaps 
were  soon  filled,  however,  and  school  work  again  pros- 
pered. 

Notwithstanding  the  excitements  qaused  by  invad- 
ing armies  and  Tong  Hak  rebellions,  evangelistic  work 
had  few  interruptions  during  the  entire  year.  For  a 
few  weeks  our  congregations  were  somewhat  smaller, 
but  not  a Sunday  service  was  omitted,  and,  as  far  as  my 
knowledge  goes,  only  one  week-day  meeting.  Trouble 
in  many  instances  seemed  to  bring  our  people  nearer 
to  God  ; we  added  to  our  work  rather  than  subtracted 
from  it.  Meetings  were  commenced  at  Chong  No 
December  i.  When  the  year  came  to  a close  it  found 
our  churches  with  an  increase  of  membership,  and  we 
believe  with  an  increase  of  spirituality  as  well. 

As  a brief  record  of  the  last  year  of  the  ten  I think 
I cannot  do  better  than  give  a few  statistics.  One  of 
our  evangelistic  workers  reports  that  during  six  months 
she  has  conducted  140  meetings  and  made  50  visits  to 
the  homes  of  the  people.  Another  tells  that  during 
eight  months  of  the  year  she  received  3,000  Koreans  in 
her  own  rooms,  and  to  nearly  all  of  these  gave  religious 
instruction.  Another  Sunday  school  has  been  organ- 
ized with  an  attendance  of  women  and  girls  ranging 
from  30  to  65.  One  church  reports  that  the  number 
of  members  (women)  has  more  than  quadrupled  dur- 


237 


ing  the  last  year,  and  every  church  testifies  to  a goodly 
increase.  Our  women  are  learning  to  deny  themselves 
for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  his  cause.  More  than  $ioo 
has  been  given  by  them  for  the  church  which  is  be- 
ing built  in  Chong  Dong,  and  in  each  of  the  other 
churches  week  by  week  contributions  have  been  made, 
which  should  be  accounted  generous.  They  give,  not 
out  of  their  abundance,  but  out  of  their  poverty.  Dr. 
Cutler  reports  : “Hospital  has  been  opened  for  regular 
work  only  i6i  days.  But  3,429  cases  have  been  treated, 
170  out-visits  made,  and  53  patients  received  into  the 
hospital ; 3,302  women  were  taught  in  the  dispensary 
on  week  days  and  1,786  on  the  Sabbath.  Our  school  is 
larger  and  more  prosperous  than  ever  before,  now  num- 
bering 43.  We  believe  the  Ewa  Hak  Tang  is  a great 
blessing  to  this  land.  Five  of  our  girls  are  employed  as 
Bible  women.  Another  is  in  America  to  prepare  herself 
for  medical  work  among  her  countrywomen.  Others 
have  gone  to  their  own  homes,  where  they  are  trying 
to  live  Chrisian  lives.  A large  proportion  of  the  girls  in 
the  school  are  Christians,  and  we  believe  there  is  not 
one  among  the  least  of  them  but  expects  to  become 
such,  and  when  she  is  old  enough  to  be  listened  to, 
to  tell  the  story,  as  she  has  heard  it,  of  Jesus  and  his  love.” 

We  give  praise  and  glory  to  God  for  the  wonderful 
work  he  hath  wrought  among  the  women  and  girls  of 
this  land. 

Number  of  missionaries  employed,  7;  number  of 
pupils  registered  from  beginning  of  school,  94;  num- 
ber of  patients  treated  in  the  hospital,  21,000;  number 
of  out-visits,  971 ; number  of  towns  and  villages  visited, 
24;  number  of  members  and  probationers,  171;  number 
of  Bible  women  employed,  7 ; and  7 books  and  tracts 
translated. 


238 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Dr.  Hall’s  Published  Letters. 

I beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God, 
that  ye  present  your  bodies  a living  sacrfiice,  holy,  acceptable  unto 
God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service.  And  be  not  conformed  to 
this  world  ; but  be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind, 
that  ye  may  prove  what  is  that  good,  and  acceptable,  and  perfect 
will  of  God. — The  Apostle  Paul. 

'Letter  from  Yokohama — First  impressions  of  Korea — Expedition  to 
Wi-ju  with  Rev.  Mr.  Jones — Appointment  and  visit  to  Pyong 
Yang — Rev.  Graham  Lee  relates  an  incident  in  Dr.  Hall’s  third 
country  trip — A tour  to  Wi-ju  with  Rev.  Mr.  Noble — Letter 
relating  the  origin  of  the  Pyong  Yang  Fund — Ten  weeks  of 
pioneer  work  in  Korea’s  ancient  capital — Dr.  Hall  takes  his 
family  with  him  upon  his  eighth  trip  to  Pyong  Yang — Sight- 
seers— Native  Christians  cast  into  prison  and  tortured — Water 
supply  cut  off — Protection  at  last — Work  carried  on  success- 
fully by  both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hall — Recall  to  Soul — War — Dr. 
Scranton  writes  of  the  work  of  the  summer  of  1894  in  the 
Si  Pyeng  Won — Rev.  Mr.  Appenzeller  gives  his  reminiscences  of 
July  23,  1894 — The  last  trip  to  Pyong  Yang — Rev.  Mr.  Lee’s 
Description  of  the  Pyong  Yang  battlefield — Dr.  Hall’s  last  pub- 
lished letter — Rev.  Mr.  Moffett  tells  how  the  doctor’s  work  was 
completed. 


From  Yokohama. 

An  Interesting  Letter  from  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D.,  to  the  Athens  Reporter. 

On  the  morning  of  November  12  I bade  good-bye  to 
friends  and  loved  ones,  and  started  on  my  voyage  of 
nearly  ten  thousand  miles  as  a medical  missionary  to 
far-off  Korea.  * 

Six  days  and  nights  are  consumed  in  our  trip  of  three 
thousand  miles  across  the  continent.  The  most  inter 


239 


esting  features  of  this  trip  are  the  vast  prairies  of  the 
Northwest  and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  scene  of 
our  passage  through  the  Rockies  is  fascinating  in  its 
terror.  In  many  places  the  railway  is  notched  into  the 
face  of  the  cliffs  of  the  mountain,  which  rises  thousands  • 
of  feet  above  us,  and  the  river  and  valley  are  seen 
hundreds  of  feet  below  us.  During  our  journey  we 
have  had  ample  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with 
many  of  our  fellow-passengers,  and  to  deal  personally 
with  them. 

We  arrived  in  Vancouver  on  the  afternoon  of  the  eigh- 
teenth, and  set  sail  from  there  to  Yokohama  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  nineteenth.  There  are  seventy-seven  pas- 
sengers in  the  first  and  second  saloons,  twenty-five  of 
whom  are  missionaries.  There  are  about  three  hundred 
Chinese  in  the  steerage. 

The  missionaries  represent  the  following  societies  : 
Church  Missionary  Society  (Church  of  England),  9; 
China  Inland  Mission,  5 ; American  Baptist,  4 ; Metho- 
dist Episcopal,  i;  Wesleyan  Methodist,  i;  Independent, 
i;  American  Presbyterian,  i;  Scotch  National  Bible 
Society,  i;  unconnected,  i. 

We  have  union  meetings  each  day,  which  have  been 
a great  source  of  blessing  to  us  all.  Every  afternoon 
there  is  a Bible  reading,  a service  for  the  sailors  and 
Chinese,  and  a prayer  meeting  in  the  evening. 

On  Sabbath  we  had  two  services  in  the  first  saloon. 

A great  deal  of  personal  work  is  being  done  among  the 
passengers.  I never  met  a more  consecrated  band  than 
the  missionaries  on  board.  We  are  already  cemented  to- 
gether as  one  great  family,  and  it  will  be  a trial  to  sep- 
arate. Denominational  lines  are  lost  sight  of,  and  we 
have  only  one  aim,  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation 
of  souls. 


240 


The  work  among  the  Chinese  is  very  interesting. 
The  first  day  I went  among  them,  one  who  spoke  a 
little  English  came  up  to  me  and  said  : “You  a good 

man  ? You  look  like  a good  man.  You  look  like  a Jesus 
man.”  I realized  as  never  before  that  we  were  indeed 
“living  epistles  known  and  read  of  all  men  ; ” that  the 
Holy  Spirit  may  so  fill  our  hearts  that  He  will  reveal 
Himself  through  our  countenances  ; that  we  may  preach 
Christ  even  though  we  may  not  utter  a word.  We  were 
also  enabled  to  tell  the  Chinese  of  a Saviour’s  love 
through  an  interpreter. 

Our  bible  readings  are  increasing  in  interest  and 
blessing.  On  Saturday  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  lead.  The 
subject  was  consecration.  To-night  (November  30) 
we  have  had  one  of  the  best  missionary  meetings  I 
have  ever  attended.  A large  proportion  of  the  pas- 
sengers and  crew  were  present.  Prominent  among  the 
passengers  were  the  Governor  of  Hong  Kong  and  the 
Vice  President  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway.  Chief 
Justice  Way,  of  Adelaide,  South  Australia,  presided,  and 
in  his  opening  address  related  a number  of  incidents 
that  came  under  his  own  observation,  attesting  the 
value  of  foreign  missions.  He  was  followed  by  three 
who  had  been  engaged  in  mission  work  in  China,  and 
who  are  now  on  their  way  back  to  their  fields  of  labor. 
As  they  spoke  of  their  experience  in  China,  a great 
deal  of  interest  was  awakened,  and  we  all  felt  that  much 
good  must  result  from  the  meeting. 

On  the  fnorning  of  December  2 we  were  all  up  bright 
and  early  packing  up  our  baggage  and  getting  ready 
to  leave  the  steamer,  as  we  were  within  a few  miles  of 
Yokohama.  The  coast  as  far  as  we  could  see  was  dotted 
with  the  white  sails  of  small  fishing  boats.  The  first 
sight  that  aroused  our  curiosity  as  we  steamed  into  the 


24 


harbor  was  to  see  about  fifty  sampan  (native  boats), 
coming  toward  the  steamer,  each  anxious  to  get  a pas- 
senger. friend  was  awaiting  us,  so,  after  arran- 
ging our  baggage,  we  were  transferred  to  a beautiful 
steam  yacht  and  taken  ashore.  Our  baggage  was  taken 
by  coolies  (Japanese  laborers)  to  the  customhouse  and 
examined.  Our  attention  was  at  once  drawn  to  the 
the  jinrikishas  (small  two-wheeled  carriages  drawn  by 
men),  which  were  standing  about  twenty  in  number 
near  the  depot,  the  owners  of  which  were  very  anxious 
to  be  engaged.  Passenger  after  passenger  got  into  one 
of  these  jinrikishas  and  were  trotted  off  at  the  same 
rate  that  a horse  would  travel.  They  run  about  six 
miles  an  hour,  and  can  travel  forty  or  fifty  miles  a day. 
It  seemed  very  peculiar  at  first  to  be  drawn  about  the 
city  by  a man,  but  we  soon  got  accustomed  to  it. 

We  started  for  the  capital,  Tokyo,  which  is  about 
eighteen  miles  from  Yokohama,  as  soon  as  we  could 
get  a train.  The  cars  are  quite  comfortable,  and  run 
about  eighteen  miles  an  hour.  We  soon  found  ourselves 
passing  through  a most  beautiful  tract  of  country  ; rice 
fields  which  had  lately  been  harvested,  and  the  straw 
still  remaining  in  the  field.  They  thresh  the  rice  by  tak- 
ing small  bundles  and  striking  them  against  the  side  of 
a large  tub.  The  straw  is  used  for  thatching  houses,  mak- 
ing mats,  shoes,  ropes,  etc.  They  do  not  use  horses  in 
farming,  as  we  do,  but  do  nearly  all  their  work  by  hand. 
They  prepare  the  soil  with  a tool  somewhat  similar  to  our 
hoe,  but  the  blade  is  much  heavier,  and  about  fifteen 
inches  long  and  five  inches  wide.  Their  rice  fields  have 
to  be  in  low  lands,  which  are  irrigated  by  the  rivers, 
which  are  turned  out  of  their  channels  and  made  to  flow 
through  the  land  in  a large  number  of  small  streams 
turned  into  the  rice  fields.  Everything  presented  the 
31 


BY  PER.  WORLD-WIDE  MISSIONS. 


243 


appearance  of  a beautiful  morning  in  spring.  The  birds 
were  singing,  and  the  air  was  soft  and  balmy.  The 
trees  and  shrubs  remain  green  throughout  the  year. 
Flowers  of  various  kinds  are  seen  blooming  everywhere 
all  seasons  of  the  year.  The  country  is  very  uneven, 
and  the  verdure  of  different  hues  covering  hill  and 
valley  presents  a most  beautiful  spectacle.  This  appears 
to  be  an  earthly  paradise. 

Soon  we  arrived  in  Tokyo,  which  has  a population  of 
1,200,000.  We  engaged  a jinrikisha  at  eight  cents  per 
hour  to  take  us  through  the  city.  We  first  visited  some' 
of  the  temples,  and  after  paying  a small  sum  were 
shown  through  them.  They  are  magnificently  adorned 
with  gold,  bronze,  and  elaborate  carvings.  Here 
“The  heathen  in  his  blindness 
Bows  down  to  wood  and  stone.” 

I never  felt  more  grateful  than  then  for  the  privileges 
and  blessings  I was  enjoying  through  the  Gospel,  and  I 
longed  to  be  able  to  tell  them  of  a Saviour’s  love.  In 
Yokohama  I visited  a great  many  places  of  interest,  and 
among  them  one  of  the  Christian  schools.  Here  the 
children  of  the  Japanese,  in  addition  to  their  regular 
course  of  study,  are  instructed  in  the  Gospel,  and  all 
the  scholars  attend  the  Sabbath  school.  In  Kobe  I 
went  with  a missionary  to  a Japanese  prayer  meeting^ 
After  wending  our  way  in  a jinrikisha  through  several 
narrow  alleys,  some  of  which  are  only  about  four  feet 
wide,  we  came  to  a small  Japanese  house.  The  windows 
consisted  of  frames  covered  with  white  paper.  The  door 
was  made  from  slats  about  an  inch  in  width  and  an 
inch  and  a half  apart.  This  was  also  covered  with 
paper.  On  sliding  back  the  door  we  passed  through 
into  the  entry  or  hall.  Here  we  were  told  to  remove  our 
shoes.  This  being  done  we  entered  tlie  house  proper. 


'J’llK  CJKKI'.MONIA  L OK  KKCKIVINC;  VISI'IOKS  IN  JAI'AN. 


245 


the  floor  of  which  was  covered  with  straw  matting.  The 
owner  of  the  house  and  his  wife  got  down  on  their 
knees  and  made  two  bows,  their  foreheads  almost  touch- 
ing the  floor.  We  returned  the  salute  in  a similar  man- 
ner. We  were  then  invited  up  a narrow  ladder  lead- 
ing to  a room  where  a number  of  native  Christians  were 
met.  The  salutes  were  repeated.  There  were  no  chairs 
or  furniture  of  any  kind  in  the  room,  as  the  Japanese 
sit,  eat,  and  sleep  upon  the  floor.  We  were  handed 
a small  mat  about  twenty  inches  square  for  a seat. 
They  sang  several  Japanese  hymns,  and  a number  led 
in  prayer.  I spoke  to  them  for  a few  minutes  through 
an  interpreter.  After  the  meeting  our  host  gave  us 
tea  of  a delicious  flavor,  but  very  weak.  Cakes  were 
passed  around  with  chopsticks,  and  oranges  in  abun- 
dance. On  leaving,  the  salute  was  repeated  as  at  the 
beginning. 

From  Kobe  to  Korea  we  took  a native  steamer,  all 
on  board  being  Japanese  but  two.  On  Sunday  I held 
a service  through  an  interpreter. 

Soul,  Korea. 

First  Impressions  of  Korea. 

BY  W.  J.  HALL,  M.D. 

On  the  afternoon  of  December  13  we  first  sighted 
Korea,  or  “ Land  of  Morning  Calm  ” which  occu- 
pies the  peninsula  hanging  down  from  Manchuria  and 
Russian  Siberia,  between  China  and  Japan,  and  ex- 
tending from  the  thirty-third  to  the  forty-third  parallel 
north  latitude. 

The  area,  including  the  outlying  islands,  is  about  one 
hundred  thousand  square  miles.  The  population, 
according  to  the  most  reliable  estimate,  is  a little  more 
than  sixteen  millions.  Yet,  as  the  people  live  in  cities. 


247 

towns,  and  villages,  the  country  does  not  seem  to  be 
thickly  settled. 

The  climate  varies  much  at  the  extremities  of  the 
peninsula,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  southern  portion 
is  somewhat  affected  by  the  warm  southern  currents 
that  give  Japan  its  tropical  climate,  but  which  are 
warded  off  from  Korea  proper  by  the  Japanese  islands. 
The  climate  of  the  central  and  northei'n  provinces  is 
much  the  same  as  that  of  the  northern  and  central 
United  States,  with  fewer  changes,  and  considerably 


FUSAN. 

milder  than  Canada.  The  large  river  at  the  capital  is 
not  uncommonly  frozen  over  for  weeks  at  a time  during 
the  winter  so  that  heavy  carts  pass  over- on  the  ice. 
There  are  a few  falls  of  snow  which  usually  only  remains 
for  a few  days.  ’ • • 

The  country  is  decidedly  mountainous  and  well 
watered.  Heavy  timber  abounds  in  the  northeast.  The 
valleys  are  fertile  and  are  fairly  well  cultivated. 

Our  steamer  stopped  for  a day  in  the  harbor  of  Fu- 
san,  a city  at  the  southern  portion  of  Korea,  and  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Soul,  the  place  of 


248 


my  destination.  Dr.  Hardy  came  on  board  to  meet  us 
and  we  were  taken  ashore  in  a sampan  (native  rowboat), 
and  very  soon  found  ourselves  in  a little  upper  room 
where  several  missionaries  were  gathered  in  a prayer 
meeting.  The  Master  was  with  us  and  we  had  a very 
profitable  time  together. 

The  following  morning  as  we  came  on  deck  we 
noticed  a large  company  of  natives  returning  in  row- 
boats from  a fishing  expedition.  They  had  been  suc- 
cessful and  were  announcing  their  good  fortune  by 
making  a great  noise  which  resembled  the  beating  on 
tin  pans. 

The  Koreans  dress  in  garments  made  from  bleached 
cotton  (imported),  which  are  heavily  padded  with  cotton 
batting  in  the  winter.  Their  pants  look  more  like  bags 
than  anything  else,  and  are  four  times  as  large  as  ours. 
They  wear  shoes  made  of  straw  or  wood.  The  coolies 
scarcely  ever  wear  any  covering  on  their  heads.  The 
boys  have  their  hair  braided  and  hanging  down  their 
backs.  The  men  have  it  done  up  in  a bnnch  about  an 
inch  and  a half  in  diameter  and  three  inches  long, 
sticking  up  straight  on  the  top  of  their  head. 

Their  skin  is  of  a dark  brown  color  resembling  very 
much  our  North  American  Indian.  They  have  very 
scant  beards  and  mustaches. 

Many  of  the  coolies  or  laboring  class  have  racks 
fastened  to  their  backs  on  which  they  carry  immense 
loads.  Cows  and  small  ponies  are  used  as  beasts  of 
burden,  but  a great  deal  of  the  labor  is  done  by  men. 
Their  cows  are  never  milked  except  for  the  use  of 
foreigners.  We  saw  large  numbers  of  Koreans  walking 
along  the  road  with  heavy  burdens  on  their  backs,  and 
one  side  of  their  face  stamped  with  the  same  mark  that 
was  on  the  goods.  We  met  a number  with  loads  of 


BY  PER.  WOMAN’S  MISSIONARY  FRIEND. 


32 


250 


cash  (Korean  money).  These  are  made  of  an  inferior 
metal  about  an  inch  and  a quarter  in  diameter  and  an 
eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness.  A hole  about  three 
eighths  of  an  inch  square  is  punched  in  the  center, 
through  which  a straw  rope  is  passed,  and  one  hundred 
strung  on  each  rope.  There  are  five  cash  in  each  piece, 
and  at  the  present  time  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  thirty  cash  in  a dollar. 

The  majority  of  the  Koreans  live  in  mud  huts.  The 
floor  is  made  of  stone  and  mud,  underneath  which  the 
fire  is  built  which  heats  their  room  and  boils  their  rice. 

Each  room  is  about  eight  feet  square,  and  usually 
two  rooms  to  each  house.  The  roofs  are  thatched  with 
straw.  They  have  no  furniture,  and  therefore  sit,  sleep, 
and  eat  upon  the  floor.  The  door  is  about  four  feet 
high  and  two  feet  and  a half  wide.  It  is  made  of  slats 
covered  with  paper,  which  answers  also  the  place  of  a 
window. 

In  future  letters  I will  tell  of  our  work  among  them 
as  missionaries  and  its  results. 

Gospel  Healing  in  Korea. 

Soul,  July  28,  1892. 

To  the  Editor  of  The  Christian  Herald: 

On  March  4 Rev.  Mr.  Jones  and  I started  on  a seven 
hundred-mile  trip  into  the  northern  interior  of  Korea. 
Our  pack  ponies  were  loaded  with  books,  medicines, 
and  a small  quantity  of  provisions.  These  were  put 
into  boxes  about  the  size  of  a small  trunk,  and  one  box 
fastened  on  each  side  of  the  pony,  which  left  a place  in 
the  center  for  our  blankets,  upon  which  we  rode  when 
tired  of  walking.  As  our  ponies  could  not  travel  faster 
than  a walk,  we  were  able  to  go  on  foot  most  of  the 
journey.  The  principal  modes  of  traveling  in  Korea 


25 


are  by  pack  pony,  chair  carried  by  men,  rough  ox  cart, 
and  on  foot.  How  slow  compared  with  our  rapid  rail- 
ways in  the  home  land  ! But  we  wished  to  meet  the 
people,  and  this  gave  us  every  opportunity  of  stopping 
at  the  villages  and  towns  that  lay  in  our  pathway.  The 
Koreans  showed  us  great  kindness  and  hospitality. 
They  have  great  faith  in  the  foreign  doctor.  They 
believe  him  capable  of  curing  all  diseases  that  are 
brought  to  him,  if  he  will.  Those  who  have  been  blind 
from  infancy  expect  to  receive  their  sight,  the  deaf  to 
hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak. 

Early  one  morning  I was  sent  for  in  great  haste.  A 
young  man  about  twenty  years  of  age  had  been  suffer- 
ing from  fever  for  several  days,  and  was  now'  at  the 
point  of  death.  I w'ent  as  fast  as  possible,  but  as  it  w'as 
some  distance  aw'ay,  it  took  considerable  time  to  reach 
his  home.  The  father  met  me  at  the  door  and  informed 
me  that  his  son  had  been  dead  nearly  an  hour,  but 
urged  me  so  strongly  to  come  into  the  room  that  I con- 
sented. He  was  the  only  child,  and  I shall  never  for- 
get the  sorrow  of  the  parents.  They  pleaded  wdth  me 
to  bring  their  son  back  to  life.  They  said,  “ Doctor, 
you  can  make  the  dead  man  live  if  you  w'ish,  and  if  you 
do  we  will  do  anything  you  ask  of  us.”  I told  them 
how  sorry  I was  for  their  trouble,  but  to  bring  the  dead 
back  to  life  was  beyond  my  power.  I then  pointed  them 
to  Jesus,  and  told  them  how  to  prepare  for  the  life  be- 
yond the  grave.  We  had  prayer  together,  and  I left 
them  with  him  who  says,  “ My  word  shall  not  return 
unto  me  void.” 

In  one  of  the  villages  I was  called  to  see  a young 
man  suffering  w'ith  pleuropneumonia.  Life  appeared 
to  be  fast  ebbing  away,  and  I entertained  little  hopes 
of  his  recovery.  As  we  w'ere  only  to  be  in  the  village 


252 


over  night,  I left  him  some  medicine  and  directions 
how  to  treat  him.  Jndging  from  a human  standpoint 
it  seemed  a hopeless  case,  but  God  has  often  shown  us 
in  our  work  for  Him  that  this  is  His  work,  and  that  all 
power  is  given  unto  Him  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and 
where  it  is  for  God’s  glory  we  have  a right  to  expect 
wonderful  results;  we  do  ascribe  to  Him  all  the  glory. 
I pointed  him  to  the  Great  Physician,  and  for  the  first 
time  he  and  the  family  heard  the  glorious  tidings  of 
salvation.  The  father  bought  a copy  of  Matthew’s 
gospel,  and  promised  to  read  it.  No  one  except  those 
who  have  had  similar  experiences  know  the  joy  that 
comes  to  the  soul  of  him  who  carries  the  message  of  a 
Saviour’s  love  to  those  who  have  never  heard  of  it 
before. 

Several  weeks  afterward,  as  we  returned  to  this  vil- 
lage, the  first  to  greet  me  was  this  young  man.  He  had 
fully  recovered,  and  his  expressions  of  gratitude  were 
very  great.  He  said  that  he  was  trying  to  do  all  that  I 
had  told  him.  He  had  been  reading  the  good  Book 
every  day,  and  the  whole  village  of  four  hundred  in- 
habitants knew  what  the  doctor  had  done,  and  they 
met  together  every  day  to  hear  the  good  Book  read. 
The  people  flocked  into  our  room  and  remained  until 
nearly  midnight,  listening  with  the  deepest  interest  to 
the  story  of  salvation  and  inquiring  the  way  to  God. 
They  pleaded  with  me  to  remain  with  them,  and  I was 
very  sorry  that  I could  not.  In  our  return  visits  we  will 
be  able  to  follow  up  the  work  and  reap  the  results. 

Although  women  are  not  expected  to  see  any  men,  ex- 
cept those  of  their  own  household,  the  medical  mission- 
ary has  no  difficulty  in  gaining  an  entrance  to  the  homes 
and  hearts  of  the  people.  God  is  wonderfully  opening 
up  our  way  before  us.  We  treated  a large  number  of 


253 


patients,  sold  a great  many  books,  and  preached  the 
Gospel  to  all  with  whom  we  came  in  contact.  Many 
expressed  themselves  anxious  to  embrace  Christianity. 
The  fields  are  already  white  unto  harvest,  but  the 
laborers  are  few. 

We  were  able  to  live  nearly  entirely  upon  native 
food.  It  consists  of  rice,  kimche,  highly  seasoned  with 
cayenne  pepper,  fish — often  spoiled — soup,  beans,  and 
sometimes  pork  and  beef.  If  we  did  not  see  them  pre- 
paring our  meals,  or  know  what  we  were  getting,  they 
would  be  much  more  palatable.  At  one  hotel  we. saw 
nine  dogskins  spread  on  the  straw  roof.  We  asked 
what  they  did  with  the  dogs.  The  reply  was,  “We  make 
soup  of  them.”  I had  quite  enjoyed  the  soup  previous 
to  this,  but  I left  it  untouched  the  rest  of  the  journey. 
I also  gave  up  the  meat,  as  I did  not  know  whether  I 
was  getting  beef  or  dog.  My  bill  of  fare  had  now  nar- 
rowed down  to  rice  and  kimche  (made  from  a vegetable 
almost  similar  to  our  cabbage  and  raw  turnip,  prepared 
somewhat  similar  to  sauerkraut),  three  times  a day, 
with  occasionally  fish,  chicken,  or  eggs.  The  fire 
which  cooked  our  food  warmed  the  stone  and  sand 
floor  upon  which  we  slept.  Sometimes  it  was  far  too 
hot,  at  other  times  too  cold. 

A day’s  travel  was  from  twenty-five  to  forty  miles. 
On  our  return  trip,  on  account  of  unexpected  expenses, 
our  money  was  running  short.  We  were  still  several 
days’  travel  from  where  we  could  get  any.  We  arose 
early  one  morning  and  prepared  for  a long  day’s 
travel.  I told  my  men  that  as  our  money  was  nearly 
gone  I would  only  take  two  meals  that  day.  About 
nine  o’clock  rain  came  on  and  continued  nearly  all 
day.  At  other  times  we  would  have  waited  for  fine 
weather,  but  it  was  very  necessary  for  us  to  push  on 


254 


now  as  rapidly  as  possible.  I had  walked  one  hundred 
and  twenty  li  (forty  miles)  that  day,  and  late  at  night  foot- 
sore, wet,  cold,  hungry,  and  weary,  we  came  to  our  inn. 
We  were  given  a small  room  with  stone  floor  for  a bed,  no 
fire,  clothes  wet  through,  straw  roof  leaking.  Here  we 
spent  the  night.  We  were  very  tired,  and  slept,  not- 
withstandingour  uncomfortable  abode.  We  spent  all  ex- 
cepting twenty  cash  (twenty-eight  cash  equals  one  cent) 
for  lodging  and  breakfast.  We  traveled  twenty  miles 
that  forenoon  with  less  than  a cent  of  money,  and  several 
days’  journey  from  home.  We  had  a check  on  the 
bank  of  heaven  and  asked  to  have  it  cashed  (Phil, 
4-  19).  W e were  within  a mile  of  where  we  wished  to 
get  our  dinner  and  feed  our  ponies.  Just  at  this 
juncture  we  met  a Japanese  doctor  that  we  had  formerly 
known,  but  did  not  know  he  was  then  in  that  part 
of  the  country.  If  we  had  been  ten  minutes  later  we 
would  have  missed  him,  as  he  would  have  branched  off 
to  another  road.  We  made  known  our  situation.  He 
said  he  would  gladly  let  us  have  all  the  cash  we  wished. 
“They  that  put  their  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  never  be 
confounded.”  What  a wonderful  Deliverer  is  ours  I 
Yours  in  Christ,  W.  J.  Hall. 

In  Heathen  Korea. 

Soul,  Korea,  December  i6,  1S92. 

To  the  Editor  of  The  Christian  Herald : 

At  our  Annual  Meeting  in  August  I was  appointed  to 
the  Pyong  Yang  Circuit,  which  includes  the  territory 
from  Soul  to  Pyong  Yang,  a distance  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles.  We  loaded  our  little  pack  ponies 
with  drugs  and  books,  and  started  on  our  tiresome  jour- 
ney over  rough  roads,  fording  streams  and  climbing 
mountains.  I have  the  privilege  of  being  the  first  mis- 


255 


sionary  appointed  to  exclusive  work  in  the  interior.  I 
praise  God  for  the  privilege  of  carrying  the  Gospel  to 
those  who  have  never  heard  of  it  before.  My  work  is  en- 
tirely pioneer  work. 

On  September  30  I entered  the  city  of  Pyong  Yang. 
As  I passed  through  the  streets  throngs  of  Koreans  gath- 
ered to  see  the  foreigner.  After  wending  my  way  through 
several  streets  with  difficulty  I came  to  an  inn,  and  was 
given  a room  eight  feet  square,  the  front  door  of  which 
opened  into  the  street,  the  back  door  into  the  yard, 
where  the  horses,  pigs,  cattle,  and  poultry  are  kept. 
There  were  no  windows,  and  the  only  light  that  entered 
the  room  came  through  the  paper  which  was  pasted 
over  the  latticework  of  the  door.  This  little  room, 
with  its  mud  walls  and  floor,  was  my  consulting 
room,  dining  and  bed  room.  Here  I saw  all  my 
patients,  dispensed  my  medicines,  and  sold  my  books. 
Each  day,  long  before  the  hour  appointed  for  opening 
the  dispensary,  the  street  was  thronged  with  patients. 
The  street  answered  as  awaiting  room,  and  one  by  one 
I saw  the  patients  in  my  little  room.  How  much  we 
need  a suitable  building  for  carrying  on  our  work  ! 
One  which  could  be  used  for  a hospital,  dispensary, 
book  room,  and  chapel.  But  we  are  trusting  God  to 
open  our  way,  and  we  know  he  will  supply  all  our 
needs. 

The  people  have  shown  me  great  kindness,  and  only 
once  have  I received  anything  like  rough  treatment, 
and  the  same  might  occur  by  the  rabble  in  any  of  our 
large  cities  in  the  home  land.  One  evening  one  of  the 
fishermen  took  me  out  for  a row  on  the  beautiful  river 
that  flows  along  the  outside  of  the  city  wall.  We  had 
just  got  out  into  the  deep  water,  when  showers  of  stones 
came  from  behind  the  wall  and  fell  all  around  us.  I 


256 


one  had  struck  us  or  the  frail  fishing  skiff,  serious  re- 
sults might  have  followed.  But  Providence  protected 
us,  and  we  pulled  as  rapidly  as  possible  over  to  the 
other  side  of  the  river. 

Our  medical  work  brings  us  into  great  favor  with  the 
natives,  and  gives  us  an  opportunity  for  preaching  the 
Gospel  and  selling  our  Christian  books  to  many  that 
we  could  not  otherwise  reach. 

One  day  I was  called  to  see  a boy  who  was  suffering 
•from  dysentery.  He  had  been  ill  for  several  days  and 
was  rapidly  growing  worse.  I left  him  some  medicine 
and  came  away.  The  following  morning  I was  sent  for 


KOREAN  FISHERMEN. 


in  great  haste,  with  the  message  that  the  boy  was  dying. 
I hastened  to  the  house  and  found  him  very  low.  The 
mother  was  the  widow  of  a Korean  doctor.  She  told 
me  if  I cured  her  son  she  would  give  him  to  me  as  my 
slave,  as  she  was  very  poor  and  had  nothing  else  to 
give.  I told  her  I would  do  all  I could  for  her  boy 
without  expecting  anything  for  it.  I then  told  her  why 
I had  come  to  Korea  to  give  my  life  for  her  people. 
I told  her  of  God,  heaven,  and  the  glad  story  of  salva- 
tion; that  I was  praying  for  her  boy,  that  God  had  the 
power  to  bless  <he  medicines  and  restore  him  to  health. 
God  answered  our  prayer,  and  the  family  are  now  dili- 


257 


gent  searchers  after  the  truth.  The  Holy  Spirit  has 
gone  before  us  and  prepared  the  soil  to  receive  the 
precious  seed,  and  will  cause  it  to  spring  up  and  yield 
an  abundant  harvest. 


KOREAN  BOYS. 

Ve  cannot  toil  in  vain, 

Cold,  heat,  and  moist,  and  dry; 

Shall  foster  and  mature  the  grain. 

For  garners  in  the  sky.” 

I have  been  invited  out  to  dinner  several  times  by 
the  natives,  and  they  do  all  in  their  power  to  show 
their  friendship  and  make  it  pleasant  for  me.  I live 
33 


258 

upon  native  food  almost  entirely.  But  a person  gets 
tired  of  rice  three  times  a day,  so  to-day  I thought  I 
would  like  some  pancakes,  but  I could  not  obtain  any 
flour.  I bought  two  measures  of  buckwheat  and  took 
it  to  the  hotel  mill  to  be  ground.  The  mill  is  the  same 
as  is  referred  to  in  Scripture,  and  consists  of  two  round 
stones  about  fifteen  inches  in  diameter  and  two  inches 
thick.  A hole  is  drilled  in  the  center  of  each  stone 
and  a wooden  pivot  inserted  which  serves  as  an  axle. 
Another  hole  is  drilled  near  the  outer  edge  of  the 
upper  stone  for  the  wooden  handle,  and  still  another 
hole  is  drilled  a short  distance  from  the  center  in  which 
the  grain  is  dropped.  I got  a couple  of  boys  to  turn 
the  stone,  and  after  they  had  been  grinding  lialf  a day 
and  sifting  the  flour  through  a sieve  made  from  horse- 
hair woven  together,  I had  ten  pounds  of  flour.  I had 
some  baking  powder  with  me,  and  very  soon  I had  the 
mixture  ready  to  fry.  I had  a fire  made  from  cornstalks, 
and  upon  this  I cooked  my  cakes.  I enjoyed  them 
most  heartily,  and  I will  be  able  to  have  them  often.  I 
am  the  only  foreigner  in  this  dark  heathen  city,  and  yet 
amid  all  these  uncongenial  surroundings  I am  happy. 

“ Jesus  all  the  day  long  is  my  joy  and  my  song, 

O that  all  his  salvation  might  see.” 

I look  forward  to  that  glad  day  when  in  this  land  “ Jesus 
shall  see  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied.”  I 
am  proving  his  power  to  keep  no  matter  what  our  sur- 
roundings are. 

Last  spring  when  I first  visited  Pyong  Yang  an  edict 
was  issued  prohibiting  the  buying  of  our  books.  This 
fall  I have  sold  over  six  hundred  copies  of  Christian 
books  without  tlie  slightest  opposition.  The  people 
a|)pear  to  be  anxious  to  buy  and  read.  They  are 
manifesting  a deep  interest  in  Christianity,  and  we  are 


259 


looking  for  glorious  results,  God  is  wonderfully  open- 
ing up  our  way,  for  which  we  praise  him  and  ascribe 
to  Him  all  the  glory. 

We  feel  deeply  grateful  to  the  many  friends  in  the 
home  land  who  are  bearing  us  up  with  their  prayers 
and  helping  us  in  this  glorious  work  of  carrying  the 
Gospel  to  the  “regions  beyond.” 

Yours  in  Jesus,  W.  J.  Hall. 

Dr.  Hall  was  accompanied  by  his  native  teacher  only 
upon  this  trip.  He  took  with  him  no  English  books 
whatever,  determined  to  learn  all  the  Korean  he  could, 
which  he  spent  his  forenoons  studying,  seeing  patients 
in  the  afternoon.  He  was  gone  five  weeks,  and  then 
was  only  home  twelve  days  when  he  started  back  upon 
his  third  trip,  of  which  he  wrote  no  record;  but  the 
Rev.  Graham  Lee,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  who 
took  his  initiatory  country  trip  at  this  time,  relates  the 
following  dangerous  experience  which  they  shared  in 
an  inn: 

“I  first  became  acquainted  with  Dr.  Hall  on  an  itin- 
erating trip  into  the  interior  of  Korea.  And  let  me  say 
that  a trip  like  this,  where  travelers  are  thrown  into  such 
close  contact,  will  usually  be  the  means  of  cementing  a 
very  close  friendship  or  forming  a very  indifferent 
acquaintanceship.  I am  glad  to  say  that  on  my  first 
trip  with  Dr.  Hall  I learned  to  love  him  as  a friend. 
He  was  a most  considerate  and  thoughtful  man,  always 
looking  for  an  opportunity  to  help  some  one  else,  and 
never  thinking  about  any  sacrifice  he. had  to  make  him- 
self. I shall  not  soon  forget  an  experience  we  had  one 
night  in  one  of  these  Korean  inns.  It  was  in  the  fall 
of  the  year,  and  the  weather  was  cool.  To  warm  our 
room  our  innkeeper  brought  in  a pan  of  fresh  embers, 


BY  PER.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  HERALD,  NEW  YORK. 


26r 


from  which  tlie  gas  had  not  all  been  burned.  Before 
either  of  us  was  aware  of  our  danger  I had  fainted, 
and  Dr.  Hall  was  in  nearly  the  same  plight.  How  well 
I remember  on  coming  to,  how  he  cared  for  me,  and, 
though  scarcely  able  to  stand,  how  he  would  get  up  and 
search  the  packs,  trying  to  find  some  medicine  to  give 
me.  This  experience  showed  me  the  self-sacrificing, 
thoughtful  nature  of  the  man,  and  did  much  to  form 
that  sincere  admiration  and  friendship  that  but  grew 
stronger  as  I knew  him  better.  On  this  same  trip,  while 
staying  in  the  city  of  Pyong  Yang,  I was  sick  for  sev- 
eral days  and  had  to  keep  my  bed.  Here  again  Dr. 
Hall  showed  those  qualities  that  have  endeared  him  to 
so  many.  He  was  as  gentle  and  tender  as  a mother 
could  be,  and  his  sincere  sympathy  made  it  felt  in  every 
word  and  act.  It  was  this  tender  consideration  and 
sympathy  that  made  him  so  beloved  by  tho  Koreans. 
He  loved  the  Korean  people,  and  they  knew  it,  and 
loved  him  in  return. 

“It  was  a privilege  to  meet  Dr.  Hall  on  the  street  or 
anywhere  ; his  cheery  smile,  his  hearty  hand  grasp,  and 
his  kind  words  were  like  a benediction.  When  he  left 
you  felt  better,  felt  that  you  had  gained  something  from 
the  meeting.  As  I look  back  over  my  past  life  I count 
among  my  blessings  the  fact  that  I was  privileged  to 
have,  though  but  for  a short  time,  the  friendsliip  of  this 
earnest  Christian  man.  Graham  Lee, 

Missionary  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  North  Korea. 

Pioneer  Medical  Missionary  Work  in  the 
Interior  of  Korea. 

By  Rev.  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D.,  in  The  Chinese  Recorder. 

On  February  20,  accompanied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Noble,  I 
started  upon  my  fourth  missionary  tour  into  the  north- 


262 


ern  interior  of  Korea.  Our  little  pack  ponies  were  well 
loaded  with  books  and  medicines  and  a little  foreign 
food.  The  weather  was  still  cold,  and,  althougli  we 
were  quite  well  equipped,  we  suffered  considerably. 
The  rivers  were  frozen,  so  we  could  cross  them  on  ice. 

One  cold  morning  we  came  to  a man  lying  in  the 
road.  At  first  we  thought  he  was  sick  or  drunk,  but 
upon  closer  examination  we  found  he  was  dead  and 
frozen  stiff.  The  natives  passed  by  without  paying  any 
attention  to  what  seemed  to  us  such  a terrible  sight. 
We  tried  to  find  out  all  we  could  about  the  case  and 
learned  that  the  poor  man  had  been  sick,  was  without 
house  or  friends,  and  being  unable  to  go  farther,  and 
as  the  night  was  bitter  cold,  he  had  frozen  to  death. 
When  the  sick  are  without  friends  here  they  have  a 
hard  time;  often  they  are  put  out  on  the  city  wall  to 
die,  and  frequently  we  find  them  before  it  is  too  late 
and  take  them  to  the  hospital,  where  they  are  clothed 
and  fed,  and  with  proper  treatment  in  a good  room  they 
soon  recover.  Many  precious  lives  are  saved  in  this 
way  and  led  to  Christ. 

We  traveled  about  thirty  miles  each  day,  and  as  our 
pack  ponies  could  not  go  fast  we  walked  most  of  the 
time  in  order  to  keep  warm.  Upon  arriving  at  the 
inns  often  we  would  find  them  very  cold,  and  at  other 
times  too  hot.  The  vermin  troubled  us  a great  deal, 
although  not  so  much  as  in  warm  weather.  The  diet 
was  very  unpalatable,  but  hunger  soon  enabled  us  to 
consume  a good  portion. 

After  six  days’  travel  we  reached  Pyong  Yang,  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  from  Soul.  We  at  once 
went  to  a friend’s  house,  where  I had  been  entertained 
last  fall.  He  was  one  of  the  governor’s  assistants,  and 
last  summer  I was  called  to  treat  his  son,  who  was  in  a 


263 


dying  condition.  God  blessed  the  means  and  speedily 
restored  the  boy  to  health.  The  gratitude  of  the  par- 
ents knew  no  bound.  They  made,  me  several  presents 
of  eggs,  chickens,  and  ducks.  When  I returned  in  the 
fall  I was  invited  into  their  home  and  given  a very 
pleasant  room.  .What  an  agreeable  change  from  the 
filthy  inn  where  I had  been  stopping  in  a room  eight 
feet  square,  in  which  I had  treated  my  patients  one 
by  one  ! 

Our  new-  friend  manifested  a deep  interest  in  Chris- 
tianity and  would  frequently  come  in  late  at  night  after 
his  duties  at  the  governor’s  office  were  done,  and  we 
would  talk  of  the  things  of  God  until  midnight,  and  then 
we  would  kneel  together  and  pour  out  our  hearts  to 
God.  We  are  looking  for  good  results  from  this  seed 
sowing.  When  I went  back  the  second  time  he  said  he 
was  more  glad  to  see  me  than  he  would  be  to  see  his 
parents,  and  he  wanted  me  to  use  everything  he  had 
just  the  same  as  if  it  were  my  own. 

Through  our  native  helper  we  were  able  to  get  a place 
well  situated  for  our  work,  which  I trust  will  soon  be 
our  hospital.  As  it  was  in  a different  section  of  the 
city  from  where  I had  been  before  the  people  did  not 
know  me,  and  they  felt  uneasy  over  my  presence,  and 
went  to  the  governor  and  asked  him  to  remove  the 
foreigner,  as  they  were  much  afraid.  The  governor 
replied:  “ The  foreigner  is  not  a bad  man  but  a gen- 
tleman. He  cures  the  sick  and  helps  the  poor;  is  he 
not  a good  man  ? ” He  gave  orders  to  the  captain  in 
charge  of  the  district  I was  in  to  quiet  the  people  and 
arrest  any  giving  me  trouble.  Their  fears  were  allayed, 
and  soon  my  hands  were  filled  with  patients  flocking 
from  all  parts  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 
Long  before  the  appointed  time  they  would  gather 


on  the  street  in  front  of  the  dispensary,  and  wait  until 
the  hour  arrived. 

Before  I left  Pyong  Yang  I was  treating  over  sixty 
patients  daily.  Others  would  come  for  me  with  chairs 
carried  by  coolies  and  take  me  to  their  homes  to  see 
the  sick  unable  to  come  to  the  dispensary.  Nearly 
every  patient  bought  a Christian  book  and  appeared 
to  be  deeply  interested  in  Christianity.  We  held  serv- 
ices with  the  patients  before  treating  them,  and  each 
night  and  upon  Sunday  we  gathered  those  together  who 
appeared  interested  and  further  instructed  them. 

Since  returning  to  Soul  I have  received  letters  urg- 
ing me  to  return  as  soon  as  I could  ; that  those  I had 
taught  met  together  every  Sunday  and  read  the  Bible 
and  prayed  to  God.  Others  have  come  the  whole  dis- 
tance, six  days’  journey  on  foot,  for  medicine  for  their 
friends. 

How  much  we  need  more  workers,  so  that  we  could 
stay  longer  with  the  people,  instructing  them  in  the 
truth  ! But  we  did  all  we  could  and  will  leave  the 
result  to  Him  to  whom  all  power  belongeth  in  heaven 
and  in  earth. 

After  reaching  Pyong  Yang  we  had  made  only  one 
fourth  of  our  tour.  We  went  one  hundred  and  seventy 
miles  farther  north,  treating  the  sick,  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel, and  selling  Christian  books  in  the  cities  and  towns 
through  which  we  passed.  Many  expressed  a desire 
to  be  Christians. 

In  Wi-ju  we  had  stopped  nearly  a week  before  we 
knew  the  danger  to  which  we  were  exposed  by  our 
room  having  just  previously  been  occupied  by  small- 
pox patients.  In  our  journeyings  the  pack  ponies  often 
fell  and  threw  us  to  the  ground.  In  one  place,  going 
over  a steep  mountain  pass,  I was  walking  behind  the 


265 


pony  when  it  commenced  to  slide,  and  soon  fell  over 
backward,  rolling  with  the  pack  on  its  back  to  the  base 
of  the  mountain  ! There  was  just  room  for  me  to  step 
aside  in  a cleft  to  let  it  pass  by,  or  1 would  have  been 
crushed.  Strange  to  say,  the  pony  appeared  but  little 
injured,  and  was  able  to  travel  on  with  us  with  its 
load. 

The  hardships,  dangers,  and  privations  of  the  mis- 
sionary appear  as  nothing  compared  with  the  joy  of 
carrying  the  blessed  tidings  of  salvation  to  the  lost. 
We  feel  that  God  has  a special  care  over  missionaries 
and  suffers  no  harm  to  befall  them.  O,  that  those  who 
are  His  may  place  themselves  where  God  can  make  the 
most  use  of  their  lives  in  His  service  ! 

“Not  for  ease  or  worldly  pleasure 
Nor  for  fame,  my  prayer  shall  be, 

Gladly  will  I toil  and  suffer, 

Only  let  me  walk  with  Thee,” 

Soul,  Korea,  September  18,  1893. 

To  the  U7iio7i  Gospel  News: 

We  have  just  had  our  Annual  Meeting,  and  each  one 
is  appointed  to  his  work  for  another  year.  What  expe- 
riences the  past  year  has  brought.  Trials,  persecutions, 
dangers  without,  perfect  peace  within.  What  a won- 
derful Saviour  is  ours.  During  April  and  May  soldiers 
guarded  our  houses  night  and  day.  We  knew  not  what 
would  befall  us,  but  the  dear  Master  protected  us,  so 
nothing  has  harmed  us.  God’s  mercies  have  been  new 
every  morning  and  fresh  every  evening. 

During  the  past  year  three  of  my  beloved  brethren 
with  whom  I labored  in  New  York,  reaching  down  after 
lost  ones  in  the  slums,  have  gone  from  the  mission  field 
to  their  reward.  Brothers  Pixley  and  Coot  have  fallen 
34 


266 


on  the  Dark  Continent — Africa — and  Dr,  Goldsbury  in 
China.  They  gladly  yielded  their  lives  to  God,  and 
when  the  call  came  to  go  home  they  were  ready.  They 
now  rest  from  their  labors  and  their  works  do  follow 
them. 

Eight  years  ago  our  church  commenced  work  here. 
Up  to  last  year  little  had  been  done  outside  the  treaty 
ports.  Occasional  visits  had  been  made  into  the  in- 
terior, but  no  one  had  been  especially  appointed  to  that 
work.  Last  year  at  our  Annual  Meeting  I was  the  first 
Protestant  missionary  appointed  to  exclusive  work  in 
the  interior  of  Korea.  I praise  God  for  the  privilege. 
Again  this  year  I am  appointed  to  the  same  work. 
How  vastly  different  it  is  from  our  work  in  the  ports 
where  we  have  our  fairly  comfortable  homes  with  dear 
ones  there,  and  surrounded  by  our  fellow-laborers.  It  is 
not  the  dangers,  hardships,  or  privations  of  a mission- 
ary life  which  are  hard  to  bear;-  it  is  separation  from 
friends,  far  away  from  those  whose  hearts  beat  in 
unison  with  ours,  as  we  are  obliged  to  travel  alone  in 
the  interior.  No  one  to  sympathize — our  own  hearts 
overflowing  with  love  to  those  who  look  upon  us  with 
suspicion  and  give  no  love  in  return.  What  feelings  of 
utter  loneliness  comes  over  the  soul,  and  we  understand 
to  some  little  extent  our  Master’s  words  when  He  said  : 
Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  how  oft  I would  have  gath- 
ered 'you  as  a hen  gathers  her  chickens  under  her 
wings,  but  ye  would  not.”  And  then  the  Holy  Spirit 
comes  into  our  souls  and  fills  them  to  overflowing.  He 
comes  nearest  when  we  need  Him  most.  O,  blessed 
work  for  Jesus  ! I would  not  exchange  it  for  any  on 
earth.  He  makes  the  desert  to  bloom  as  the  rose.  As 
we  penetrate  this  dark  kingdom,  carrying  with  us  the 
message  of  salvation,  I am  sure  we  shall  have  the  pray- 


26/ 

ers  of  thousands  of  warm  Christian  hearts  in  the  home 
land. 

- I told  you  of  our  little  room  eight  feet  square  in 
Pyong  Yang,  with  its  mud  walls  and  floor,  in 'which  I 
ate,  slept,  and  treated  my  patients.  On  my  return  to 
Soul  at  the  children’s  meeting  I told  about  our  work, 
and  how  much  we  needed  a better  house  in  which  to  do 
this  work  for  Jesus.  The  children  said,  “Well,  Dr. 
Hall,  we  will  ask  God  to  give  you  a house.”  I shall 
never  forget  those  prayers;  they  went  straight  to  the 
throne  of  God,  and  soon  the  answer  came.  After  the 
meeting  closed  Bertie  Ohlinger  came  to  my  room  with 
a bright  silver  dollar  and  said,  “Dr.  Hall,  here  is  a 
dollar  to  help  buy  a house  in  Pyong  Yang.  I wish  I 
could  give  more,  but  it  is  all  I have.”  Next  came  Willa, 
his  sister,  a dear  little  girl  of  nine  years,  with  ten  cents. 
Following  her  came  Augusta  Scranton  with  fifty  cents. 
It  was  only  one  dollar  and  sixty  cents,  and  the  prayers 
of  God’s  little  ones,  but  He  who  fed  the  five  thou- 
sand with  five  loaves  of  bread  and  two  fishes  has  multi- 
plied the  children’s  gifts  until  they  have  grown  in  eight 
months  to  $1,479.99.  To-day  we  have  our  property 
for  hospital  and  dispensary  well  situated  in  Pyong 
Yang. 

We  wish  to  express  our  gratitude  to  the  many  dear 
friends  in  America  and  Korea  for  the  deep  interest  they 
are  manifesting  in  our  work  for  the  Master.  We  are 
looking  to  God  for  great  blessings  this  Conference 
year. 

Yours  very  sincerely,  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D. 

September  20  and  December  i,  1893,  the  doctor  left 
upon  his  fifth  and  sixth  trips  to  Pyong  Yang,  but  wrote  • 
no  special  report  of  the  same. 


268 


Ten  Weeks  of  Pioneer  Missionary  Work  in 
Korea’s  Ancient  Capital. 

By  Rev.  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D.,  in  The  Chinese  Recorder. 

On  January  lo,  1894,  I again  left  Soul  for  my 
work  in  the  north,  Pyong  Yang.  Mr.  McKenzie,  from 
Nova  Scotia,  accompanied  me.  God  has  given  him  a 
wonderful  experience.  He  felt  that  God  called  him  to 
Korea,  and  although  his  mission  board  did  not  feel  able 
to  start  a mission  here  he  trusted  the  Lord  to  supply  the 
necessary  funds  for  his  outcoming  and  support  after 
reaching  here.  God  always  honors  the  faith  of  His 
children.  We  had  blessed  seasons  of  communion  with 
God  on  the  journey. 

I was  only  one  day  out  when  I was  called  to  see  a 
patient  who  had  been  badly  cut  and  stabbed  by  robbers. 
I dressed  the  wounds  and  told  the  story  of  the  Great 
Physician.  His  comrade  had  been  so  badly  stabbed 
that  he  only  lived  a few  minutes  afterward. 

After  seven  days’  journey  I reached  Pyong  Yang  and 
went  at  once  to  one  of  the  houses  which  had  been  pur- 
chased for  our  use,  but  which  on  account  of  the  oppo- 
sition of  the  governor  we  were  unable  to  occupy  for 
several  months. 

It  had  been  used  as  a home  for  dancing  girls,  and 
was  still  being  used  for  the  same  purpose.  After  some 
difficulty  they  consented  to  give  up  the  house.  The 
following  two  nights  the  house  was  vigorously  stoned 
by  a band  of  men  who  had  been  accustomed  to  spend 
their  evenings  there,  but  had  now  been  defeated  in  their 
evil  purposes. 

Every  day  we  saw  our  patients,  and  had  a great  many 
visitors  who  all  heard  the  story  of  salvation.  Every 
night  we  held  our  service,  and  a deep  interest  appeared 
to  be  manifested  by  a good  number.  Everything  was 


269 


moving  on  smoothly,  and  all  opposition  had  ceased. 
But  on  the  morning  of  February  17,  several  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  district  came  in  and  said  they  had 
been  accustomed  to  receive  1,500  cash  ($2.50)  from 
this  house  every  year  to  sacrifice  to  the  evil  spirits,  and 
they  wanted  me  to  give  the  same  amount.  I told  them  of 
the  sin  they  were  committing  in  worshiping  evil  spirits 
instead  of  the  true  and  living  God.  Shortly  afterward 
my  helper,  a young  man  of  twenty  years,  but  an  earnest 
Christian,  was  sent  for  by  a man  who  lived  near  our 
home.  He  went,  and  returned  shortly  afterward  with 
torn  clothes,  and  told  me  they  had  seized  and  beaten 
liim,  because  he  would  not  give  the  money  for  sacrifice. 
They  gathered  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  together, 
and  decided  to  drive  us  out.  I went  to  the  magistrate 
and  told  him  the  whole  story  and  asked  him  not  to 
punish  the  men  but  to  quiet  the  disturbance,  which  he 
promised  to  do.  While  I was  gone  the  same  man  who 
had  beaten  ray  helper  came  to  the  house  and  seized  a 
boy  of  eighteen  years,  who  had  been  attending  our 
services,  tore  his  clothes  and  beat  him  severely.  I shall 
never  forget  his  testimony,  which  he  gave  on  my  return. 
He  was  cheerful  and  happy,  and  showed  no  spirit  of 
resentment.  I asked  him  if  he  felt  like  giving  up  serv- 
ing Christ  when  he  was  so  sorely  persecuted.  A smile 
lighted  up  his  countenance  as  he  said,  ‘H  cannot  give 
up  serving  my  King,  even  if  they  kill  me.” 

O friends  in  the  home  land,  who  can  serve  God 
under  your  own  vine  and  fig  tree  with  none  daring  to 
molest  or  make  you  afraid,  pray  for  those  who  are  not 
so  favorably  situated.  Some,  like  Peter,  have  denied 
their  Lord.  Others,  like  Paul,  are  braving  every  storm 
and  allowing  nothing  to  separate  them  from  Christ. 

The  following  week  our  persecutors  threatened  those 


270 


who  came  to  our  meetings.  The  numbers  decreased. 
We  held  our  service  every  night,  and  before  the  regular 
service  held  a children’s  meeting,  at  which  fifteen 
bright  boys  attended.  One  boy,  who  had  learned  the 
whole  catechism,  was  beaten  by  one  of  our  persecutors 
and  forbidden  to  come  to  the  meeting.  But,  praise  God, 
they  cannot  beat  out  the  truth  from  their  hearts  and 
minds.  It  will  yet  yield  a rich  harvest.  Dr.  Scranton,  our 
superintendent,  was  with  us  for  two  weeks,  and  proved  a 
great  blessing  to  the  work. 

' I had  considerable  difficulty  with  some  under  the  influ- 
ence of  liquor.  It  is  distilled  by  the  natives,  and  is  the 

I same  curse  here  as  in  the  home  land.  One  afternoon, 
I after  I had  treated  my  patients,  I took  my  usual  walk. 
|.;  As  I ascended  a hill  three  men  were  sitting  in  the  path- 
j way  with  a jug  of  liquor.  After  I passed  them  they  fol- 

lowed  me  and  asked  me  to  drink.  I told  them  I never 

II  drank  liquor.  They  then  seized  me  and  dragged  me  to 
\ the  place  where  the  jug  was  and  tried  to  force  me  to  take 

the  liquor.  When  I still  persisted  in  not  complying  with 
their  request  one  of  the  men  ran  and  picked  up  a 
stone  as  large  as  my  head,  and,  coming  up  to  me,  was  in 
the  act  of  throwing  it  at  me,  when  God  stayed  his  hand, 
and  the  other  men  let  go  of  me  and  I walked  slowly 
away.  They  stood  and  shouted  after  me  for  some  time, 
and  then  followed  me  for  about  a mile,  shouting  at  the 
top  of  their  voices.  This  and  even  far  worse  treatment 
our  Christians  have  to  endure  when  they  refuse  to  drink 
liquor. 

Late  one  Saturday  night  two  of  the  native  Pres- 
byterian brethren  came  in  and  said  there  was  a great 
deal  of  talk  all  over  the  city,  and  that  the  people  said 
they  would  kill  the  Christians  and  the  foreigners.  They 
seemed  much  alarmed  and  wanted  us  to  secure  protec- 


NATIVE  SCHOOL  IN  KOREA. 


•1 


272 

tion  for  them.  We  told  them  that  our  Father  was 
stronger  than  all  they  who  could  be  against  us,  and  He 
would  suffer  no  harm  to  befall  us  unless  it  was  for  our 
good  and  God’s  glory.  As  we  were  being  persecuted 
we  talked  together  of  Paul’s  experiences,  and  God  filled 
our  hearts  with  joy  and  peace.  We  were  ready  to  die 
for  Jesus  if  He  required  it.  We  received  great  blessing 
from  God’s  word,  and  we  turned  to  the  passages  that 
then  applied  to  our  case.  Luke  vi,  22,  23. 

The  following  Sunday  morning  at  our  regular  service 
we  baptized  two  men,  who  had  given  good  evidence  of 
saving  faith  in  Christ.  We  are  laying  our  foundation 
stones  in  the  midst  of  persecution,  and  we  believe  they 
will  be  solid. 

We  have  commenced  the  first  Christian  school  in  the 
interior  of  Korea  with  a class  of  thirteen  bright  boys. 
We  teach  them  doctrines  of  Christianity,  Chinese,  and 
the  native  language.  We  can  win  the  children  for 
Christ.  I want  the  boys  and  girls  to  help  me.  Pray 
for  them.  Collect  all  the  picture  cards  you  can,  of  all 
kinds,  no  matter  if  they  have  been  used,  and  I will 
paste  a text  of  Scripture  on  the  back  of  the  cards  and 
give  them  to  the  Korean  boys  and  girls  for  you.  In 
this  way  you  can  help  to  lead  the  Korean  children  to 
Jesus.  Send  them  postpaid  by  mail  to  me. 

April,  1894. 

Pioneer  Missionary  Work  in  the  Interior  of 
Korea. 

To  the  Editor  of  The  Christian  Herald : 

On  May  4 Mrs.  Hall,  baby,  and  I left  Chemulpo 
by  steamer  for  Pyong  Yang.  We  had  only  been  out  a 
few  hours  when  we  encountered  a typhoon,  and  were 
obliged  to  anchor  for  thirty-three  hours.  On  Monday 


I 


273 

afternoon  we  reached  Po-san,  which  is  twenty-five  miles 
from  Pyong  Yang,  and  as  near  tlie  city  as  the  steamer 
goes.  We  took  a native  rowboat  for  the  rest  of  our 
journey,  and  arrived  Tuesday  noon.  The  native  Chris- 
tians were  waiting  on  the  shore  to  greet  us.  Shortly 
after  our  arrival  great  numbers  of  natives  came  to  see 
us.  Mrs.  Hall  told  them  she  would  see  them  Wednes- 
day afternoon.  By  noon  hundreds  of  women  and  chil- 
dren had  gathered  in  the  road  and  outside  yard  to  see 
Mrs.  Hall  and  baby.  We  arranged  to  let  them  in  by 
tens  to  remain  for  five  minutes.  This  worked  well  for 
a short  time,  but  soon  those  behind  became  impatient, 
commenced  to  crowd,  broke  down  the  gate,  and  soon 
the  inside  yard  and  the  house  were  filled  to  overflow- 
ing. The  only  thing  now  to  do  was  for  Mrs.  Hall  to 
come  outside  with  our  little  boy,  where  she  saw  yard 
after  yard  full,  until  over  fifteen  hundred  women  and 
children  had  been  seen.  As  we  could  no  longer  con- 
trol the  people  I went  to  the  magistrate  and  asked  for 
a soldier  to  protect  us.  He  promised  to  send  one  the 
next  day,  but  none  ever  came. 

About  one  o’clock  Thursday  morning  we  were  awak- 
ened by  two  of  the  native  Cliristians,  who  informed  us 
that  our  faithful  helper,  Chang  Si-key,  and  the  former 
ownerof  the  house  we  were  stopping  in,  had  been  cast  into 
prison.  We  could  do  nothing  then  but  commit  them  to 
God.  Early  in  the  morning  I went  to  the  governor’s, 
but  he  was  sleeping,  and  I could  not  see  him.  I then 
went  to  the  prison  and  found  that,  in  addition  to  our  men, 
the  helper  of  Mr.  Moffett,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission, 
and  also  the  former  owner  of  the  house  that  the  helper 
lived  in,  were  both  in  prison  ; and  that  same  night  po- 
licemen had  gone  to  where  Mr.  Moffett  stopped  when  in 

Pyong  Yang  and  cruelly  beat  all  the  native  Christians 
35 


2/4 


that  were  there.  Chang  Si-key  had  his  feet  wedged  in 
stocks,  and  was  suffering  intense  pain.  I then  went  to 
the  house  to  see  if  Mrs.  Hall  was  all  right,  when  Mr. 
O,  one  of  our  Christians  who  had  accompanied  me  to 
the  governor’s,  was  seized  and  taken  off  to  prison.  Mr. 
Yi,  another  of  our  native  Christians,  then  accompanied 
me  on  my  rounds  to  the  prison  house  and  telegraph 
office.  He  would  say  to  me,  “ I will  be  taken  to 
prison  next,  and  then  you’ll  have  to  go  alone.”  We 
were  the  only  foreigners  in  a city  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand heathen,  and  you  can  imagine  our  situation  when 
I had  to  leave  IMrs.  Hall  and  little  Sherwood  alone  and 
unprotected,  as  much  of  the  time  I was  away  at  the 
prison  or  the  telegraph  office. 

I telegraphed  the  state  of  affairs  to  Dr.  Scranton  in 
Soul,  and  he  and  Mr.  Moffett  carried  the  matter  to  the 
British  and  American  Legations,  and  soon  the  welcome 
message  came  over  the  wires:  “ Legations  will  act  at 

once.”  Xo  time  was  lost  in  Soul.  The  missionaries 
and  the  legations  acted  with  that  characteristic  zeal 
for  which  Britishers  and  Americans  are  noted.  Soon 
there  came  a telegram  from  Mr.  Gardner,  British  con- 
sul general,  and  Mr.  Sill,  American  minister  resident, 
stating  that  they  had  insisted  that  the  foreign  office 
order  the  release  of  the  men  in  prison  at  once,  and  our 
protection  according  to  treaty.  A telegram  also  came 
from  Mr.  Moffett,  “Joshua,  first  chapter,  ninth  verse.” 
This  was  Thursday  evening  ; that  night  our  house  was 
stoned  and  the  wall  torn  down.  We  did  not  know  the 
moment  a mob  might  be  upon  us.  Early  Friday  morn- 
ing a servant  of  the  governor’s  came  and  said  the  tele- 
gram from  the  king  had  been  received,  but  that  it 
said  we  were  bad  people  and  to  kill  all  the  Christians. 

I went  to  the  prison,  and  this  report  was  confirmed 


the  foreign  office  at  Soul. 


2/6 


there.  Our  men  had  been  removed  to  the  death  cell, 
the  torturing  continued  ; they  expected  to  die,  but 
would  not  give  up  Christ. 

The  water  carriers  were  forbidden  to  bring  us  water. 
There  are  no  wells  in  Pyong  Yang,  and  the  water  is 
brought  from  the  river  a half  mile  distant.  The  gov- 
ernor is  a relative  of  the  queen,  a powerful  family  here 
in  Korea,  and  it  began  to  look  as  though  he  were  not 
going  to  pay  any  attention  to  the  telegram  from  the 
foreign  office.  It  seemed  to  us  that  the  time  had  come 
for  religious  toleration  for  Korea,  and  God  would  re- 
quire the  lives  of  some  of  his  children  to  secure  it.  We 
were  ready  to  die  for  His  cause.  Grace  had  been  given 
sufficient  for  every  trial  thus  far,  and  we  knew  abun- 
dance would  be  given  if  it  were  required.  My  heart 
ached  as  I witnessed  our  faithful  brothers  in  Christ  suf- 
fering extreme  torture,  such  as  had  not  been  expe- 
rienced here  by  Christians  for  twenty-eight  years,  when 
thousands  of  Roman  Catholics,  including  several  priests, 
laid  down  their  lives  for  their  faith.  Two  telegrams 
from  the  foreign  office  had  been  sent  since  Thursday 
night,  but  five  o’clock,  Friday,  came,  and  still  no  relief. 
At  six  o’clock,  after  thirty-six  hours  of  torture  in  prison, 
threatened  many  times  with  death,  all  were  sent  for  by 
the  magistrate,  beaten  and  discharged,  but  stoned  all  the 
way  home.  Chang  Si-key  was  so  badly  injured  it  was 
with  difficulty  he  reached  home.  I felt  like  sitting  at 
his  feet  ; such  a faithful  martyr  for  Jesus  I had  never 
before  seen. 

Messrs.  Moffett  and  McKenzie  started  Friday  from 
Soul  as  a relief  party;  traveling  day  and  night  they 
reached  us  the  following  Tuesday.  A week  later  Dr. 
Scranton  arrived.  He  and  Mr.  McKenzie  returned  the 
next  week. 


277 


We  remained  a month  after  the  difficulty  arose,  treat- 
ing patients  daily,  both  myself  and  Mrs.  Hall  ; we  had 
from  twenty  to  thirty  a day.  We  held  services  Sundays 
and  every  night.  Our  last  Sunday  there  I had  twenty 
men,  and  Mrs.  Hall  had  seven  women  at  the  service. 
The  interest  in  Christianity  is  deepening.  God  is  re- 
moving the  obstacles  and  clearing  away  the  rubbish  for  a 
harvest  of  souls  in  Pyong  Yang. 

The  people  as  a rule  are  friendly  toward  us.  The 
instigators  of  the  trouble  were  some  of  the  officials  and 
their  servants.  There  has  just  been  secured  through 
the  foreign  office  an  order  demanding  the  restoration  of 
the  money  extorted  from  those  who  were  in  prison  and 
the  punishment  of  the  guilty  parties. 

We  remained  at  Pyong  Yang  until  I received  an  order 
from  our  consul  to  bring  Mrs.  Hall  and  our  little  boy  to 
an  open  port.  We  felt  anxious  to  remain  with  our 
little  band  of  Christians,  but  under  the  circumstances 
were  obliged  to  go  and  leave  them  under  the  care  of 
our  great  Protector. 

We  took  the  last  steamer  that  came  from  Pyong 
Yang  before  the  war;  it  was  filled  with  soldiers,  and 
upon  reaching  Chemulpo  we  found  the  harbor  filled 
with  men  of  war. 

On  the  morning  of  July  23*  we  were  awakened  at 
five  o’clock  by  the  Koreans,  who  were  almost  frantic 
with  excitement.  Detachments  of  Japanese  soldiers 
were  rushing  to  guard  the  city  gates,  and  there  was 
heavy  and  constant  firing  of  guns  on  the  palace  grounds, 
about  half  a mile  from  our  home.  The  Japanese  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  the  palace  in  about  t\venty  minutes. 
Since  that  time  they  have  been  assisting  the  Korean 
government  in  adopting  measures  of  reform. 


See  Reminiscences  of  July  23,  1894,  by  Rev.  H.  G.  Appenzeller. 


FROM  WAR  IN  THE  EAST,  ZIEGLER  A CO.,  PHILADELPHIA. 


279 


The  Chinese  and  Japanese  armies  both  are  now  in 
Korea.  They  met  in  their  first  battle  at  Asan,  about 
fifty  miles  from  Soul;  shortly  after  there  was  a 
naval  engagement  near  Chemulpo;  the  Japanese  were 
successful  in  both.  ■ - 

China  poured  her  troops  in  at  the  north,  and  soon  the 
city  of  Pyong  Yang,  which  we  had  so  recently  left,  was 
occupied  by  the  Chinese.  The  Japanese  next  sent 
large  forces  north,  and  on  September  14  the  two  armies 
met  at  Pyong  Yang.  A heavy  battle  ensued,  and  on  the 
sixteenth  the  Japanese  were  victorious,  and  entered 
the  city.  A naval  battle  was  fought  near  Pyong  Yang,  in 
which  the  Japanese  were  also  successful. 

Dr.  Scranton  and  1 have  been  very  busy  in  the  hos- 
pital since  the  war  commenced.  Here  many  precious 
lives  have  been  saved,  and  all  have  heard  the  glad  ti- 
dings of  the  Gospel.  Several  have  professed  saving  faith 
in  Christ,  and  many  others  have  bought  our  Christian 
books  and  have  gone  away  feeling  they  wanted  to 
know  more  about  the  “Jesus  doctrine.”  The  seeds  of 
truth  are  daily  being  scattered,  and  we  know  they  will 
be  cared  for  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  bring  forth  a rich 
harvest. 

On  September  26  we  received  a letter  from  Pyong 
Yang,  written  by  our  faithful  helper,  Kim  Chang  Si-key, 
which  stated  that  our  Christians  were  all  safe  and  well, 
that  the  Chinese  had  been  defeated  and  the  Japanese 
now  occupied  the  city.  He  was  very  grateful  to  God. 
for  keeping  them  through  such  great  danger.  He  re- 
mained at  his  post,  holding  our  little  Christian  flock 
together  and  caring  for  our  property  during  the  battle. 
Chang  Si-key  was  led  to  Christ  through  Brother  Ohlin- 
ger,  and  was  in  his  employ  until  he  went  to  America; 
since  then  he  has  been  my  helper.  He  has  shown  him- 


28o 


Revs.  Moffett  and  Lee  and  myself  start  for  Pyong 
Yang  overland  October  i. 

I have  received  hundreds  of  packages  of  cards  and 
letters  in  response  to  my  appeal.  Many  have  asked  for 
replies,  but  as  the  work  here  makes  such  pressing  de- 
mands upon  my  time  will  the  dear  friends  please  accept 


self  a true  Christian  hero ! Last  spring  he  was  impris- 
oned, had  his  feet  wedged  in  stocks  for  two  days  and 
nights,  was  stoned  and  almost  beaten  to  death,  but 
would  not  give  up  Christ.  I believe  there  will  be  many 
such  jewels  found  in  Korea. 


KIM  CHANG  SI-KEY. 


28i 


this  as  my  reply.  Let  me  thank  you  in  behalf  of  the 
Korean  children.  I am  printing  in  Korean  the  text 
John  iii,  i6,  on  the  back  of  each,  and  I am  sure  God’s 
blessing  will  follow  each  one,  and  they  will  be  the 
means  of  planting  the  seeds  of  truth  in  many  a little 
heart.  Papers  printed  in  English  cannot  be  read  by 
Koreans. 

It  is  such  a comfort  to  know  that  thousands  of  warm 
Christian  hearts  are  interested  and  are  praying  for  us 
and  the  work. 

Yours  sincerely,  W.  J.  Hall. 

Dr.  W.  B.  Scranton,  Superintendent  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Mission  in  Korea,  kindly  adds  the  following 
to  the  work  done  by  Dr.  Hall  at  the  General  Hospital 
in  Soul  during  the  summer  of  1894  : 

Dr.  W.  J.  Hall  at  the  Si  Pyeng  Won  Hospital  in 
THE  Summer  of  1894. 

Our  hospital  in  Soul  during  this  year  was  in  the 
charge  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Busteed,  but  during  a few  months’ 
vacation  of  Dr.  Busteed  the  work  fell  once  more  into 
my  care. 

On  the  morning  of  July  23  we  were  awakened  in 
Soul  with  peculiar  sensations,  for  the  sound  of  bullets 
was  in  the  air.  The  Japanese  soldiers  were  taking 
possession  of  the  city  and  the  streets  and  walls  were 
patrolled  by  them.  The  king  was  their  prisoner  in  the 
palace.  By  the  end  of  the  following  night  we  were  not 
left  in  doubt  as  to  what  bullets  can  do,  and  our  hands 
were  full  and  hearts  heavy. 

At  this  time  it  happened  that  Dr.  Hall  was  at  his 
home  in  Soul,  having  just  returned  from  his  post  in 
Pyong  Yang.  I asked  him  to  assist  me  at  the  hospital, 
36 


282 


as  the  work  there  was  far  beyond  the  powers  of  one 
man’s  care.  He  and  I undertook  the  work  together  at 
the  hospital  as  alternates  from  July  27. 

These  were  hard  days,  from  early,  morning  to  late  at 
night,  and  required  the  most  zealous  supervision  at 
every  point. 

The  demands  made  upon  the  missionary  physician 
know  no  end,  and  are  as  various  as  man’s  misfortunes. 
He  must  be  a specialist  in  all  departments  and  his  own 
consultant  in  most  trying  and  unexpected  moments. 
Thus  it  was  that  in  the  summer  of  1894  our  hospital 
was  called  upon  suddenly  to  exchange  its  routine  for 
the  work  of  a military  hospital. 

Here  Dr.  Hall  was  called  upon  to  be  surgeon  and 
nurse,  druggist  and  steward,  but  he  had  a faculty  for 
patient  and  tireless  work  without  getting  tangled  in  a 
complexity  of  duties  as  some  of  us  do.  Everyone 
knows  that  when  Dr.  Hall  made  up  his  mind  where  his 
duty  lay  he  faithfully  persevered  in  it.  It  was  not  him- 
self then,  but  the  work  that  thrived. 

During  these  days  in  the  Soul  hospital  he  was  con- 
stantly at  his  post  and  tireless  in  his  endeavors.  One 
day  when  he  had  been  most  fully  occupied  and  might 
well  have  remarked  on  his  own  weariness,  I well  re- 
member how  he  said,  and  with  what  a genuine  spirit, 
“ Doctor,  how  I enjoy  this  ! I could  spend  my  whole  life 
in  this  way.  It  is  so  good  to  help  people.”  It  was 
equally  a pleasure  to  be  helped  by  Dr.  Hall.  He  was 
so  gentle  in  his  way  and  so  earnest. 

The  very  diversity  of  the  demands  which  a hospital 
in  a mission  field  makes  upon  one  increases  the  oppor- 
tunities for  usefulness;  the  inevitable  discouragements, 
and  the  daily  delights  of  the  work.  Yet,  perhaps  es- 
pecially, the  quality  necessary  is  patience.  “With  a 


284 

heart  for  any  fate,  still  achieving,  still  pursuing,  learn 
to  labor  and  to  wait.” 

Here  Dr.  Hall  was  at  home.  Neither  the  dull  rou- 
tine nor  the  squalor  and  neglect  that  so  sorely  tries 
one’s  heart,  and  patience  too,  could  draw  aught  but 
greater  care  from  him.  One  is  often  tempted  to  wish 
for  the  power  to  cure  the  blind  and  paralytic  and  dead, 
when  so  many  without  hope  in  this  world  or  another 
beset  one,  and  their  bereavements  are  so  sad,  and  one’s 
heart  is  sorely  touched  ; and  yet  our  very  successes 
lead  us  to  see  that  our  limited  power  is  as  really  God- 
given  as  His  gracious  successes  permitted  through  us. 
It  is  so  easy  for  the  god  of  this  world  to  blind  the  eyes 
of  missionary  and  people  to  what  is  the  true  good. 

But  Dr.  Hall  had  learned  the  secret  that  the  patient 
and  kindly  touch  of  sympathy  and  love  are  the  little 
things  ordained  of  God  to  accomplish  mightiest  ends. 
They,  and  not  the  greater,  are  miracles  in  reality. 

After  a little  more  than  a month’s  work  the  wounded 
decreased  and  the  usual  hospital  routine  was  resumed. 
For  the  following  month,  until  the  return  of  Dr.  Bus- 
teed  from  the  United  States,  Dr.  Hall  kindly  took  the 
entire  charge  of  the  Soul  dispensary  and  hospital. 

His  work  done  there  still  lives  on.  From  time  to 
time  old  friends  of  those  days  come  to  the  hospital 
again  to  see  us,  and  not  infrequently  say,  “You  must 
miss  Dr.  Hall.  His  death  was  a great  loss.” 

His  kindly  spirit  was  felt  by  everyone,  and  his  acts 
became  living  entities — waters  to  quench  the  famishing. 

Dr.  Hall’s  painstaking  tirelessness  and  a living  faith 
in  God  were  his  distinguishing  features.  He  had  a 
faith  that  everything  and  anything  was  worth  doing, 
and  that  a leading  in  any  direction  was  the  equivalent 
to  an  enablement.  Wm.  B.  Scranton. 


285 


Reminiscences  of  July  23,  1894. 

By  H.  G.  Appenzeller  in  Korean  Repository^  July,  1896. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  article  to  write  a history 
of  this  day,  but  rather  to  recall  a few  of  the  minor  hap- 
penings. The  day  dawned  as  many  since  the  arrival 
of  the  Japanese  troops  had  dawned.  The,  farmer  with 
rice,  beans,  barley,  and  fruit,  was  on  his  way  to  the  early 
market.  The  slaves,  servants,  and  humble  poor,  with 
basket  in  hand  or  laid  across  the  shoulder,  were  about 
to  go  out  to  make  the  purchases  for  the  day.  Unusual 
activity  among  the  soldiers  was  observed.  They  were 
not  only  marching  in  and  out  the  south  gate,  as  they 
had  done  for  the  past  montli  or  more,  but  were  seen 
going  toward  the  royal  palace.  For  several  days  be- 
fore this  alarming  reports  of  Japan’s  ultimatum,  and 
that  decisive  measures  were  about  to  be  taken,  were  ex- 
tensively circulated.  What  that  ultimatum  was,  or  what 
steps  of  a decisive  character  Japan  was  about  to  take, 
the  common  people  could  only  guess,  and  that  very 
vaguely.  When  the  Japanese  soldiers  were  seen  march- 
ing toward  the  palace  the  Koreans  surmised  what  was 
going  to  happen,  and  the  war  cry,  a long-drawn  whoop, 
was  raised  in  various  parts  of  the  city. 

I did  not  hear  this  war  cry.  But  a few  moments 
later  there  was  a sharp  knock  at  the  front  door.  A Ko- 
rean, half  scared  to  death,  announced  : “ The  war  has 
begun  ! The  war  has  begun  ! ” It  was  now  a few  min- 
utes past  five.  A few  moments  later  I was  on  the  top 
of  the  Pai  Chai  School  hill  where  a few  excited  Koreans 
had  already  gathered  in  answer  to  the  war  cry.  The 
west  gate  was  crowded  with  Japanese  soldiers,  looking 
across  the  school  campus  in  the  direction  of  the  palace. 
On  the  city  wall  back  of  the  Ewa  School  there  is  quite 


28/ 


an  elevation.  Here  sentries  were  posted.  They  fright- 
ened the  schoolgirls  nearly  to  death,  as  the  little  things 
did  not  know  for  whose  special  benefit  and  for  what 
purpose  these  soldiers  were  gathered  on  the  wall.  There 
is  deep  silence  on  all  sides.  Bang  ! sharp  and  clear  is 
heard  from  the  palace.  “ Ei-ko  ! Ei-ko  ! ” is  the  sup- 
pressed response  from  not  only  the  few  Koreans  around 
me,  but  from  thousands  in  the  city.  Bang  ! bang  ! are 
heard  again  at  short  intervals,  and  with  every  sound  the 
Korean’s  heart  sank  perceptibly. 

My  good  friend,  Mr.  Hulbert,  always  prolific  in  re- 
sources, appeared  on  the  scene  and  was  ready  to  affirm 
or  “ guarantee  ” that  the  discharge  of  musketry  was  in- 
tended to  drive  away  the  demons  that  had  disturbed 
her  majesty’s  peace  by  giving  her  neuralgia.  This 
seemed  plausible,  but  not  conclusive  either  to  me  or  to 
the  Koreans  near  me. 

The  firing  between  the  Japanese  and  Koredn  soldiers 
became  quite  general  and  the  city  was  thrown  into  great 
excitement.  All  business  and  traffic  ceased,  and  every- 
body, from  the  highest  “ general  ” in  the  Korean  army 
to  the  farmer  just  in  from  the  country  with  a new  load 
of  green  muskmelons,  dropped  everything  and  sought 
the  nearest  place  of  real  or  supposed  safety.  The  few 
remaining  Chinese  made  for  the  English  consulate  ; 
generals,  brigadiers,  and  majors  sought  the  friendly 
protection  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  ; “ scribes  ” in  foreign 
employ  and  Pharisees  in  no  employ  or  service  whatever, 
entered  the  first  open  gate  they  came  to  that  gave  them 
entrance. 

The  flight  from  the  palace  was  as  precipitate  as  it 
was  disgraceful.  Yangbans  of  such  exalted  rank,  once 
so  inflated  with  their  self-importance  that  they  could 
hardly  persuade  themselves  to  treat  their  equals  with 


288 


civility  or  to  mingle  with  them,  now  seized  the  rack — 
Ji'S^gy — of  the  first  cooly  that  happened  to  be  in  their 
way,  and  as  bearers  of  the  filth  and  offscouring  of  Ko- 
rea, they  sought  egress  from  the  palace  and  fled  to  the 
country  or  skulked  in  some  dark  hole  in  the  city.  The 
wail,  the  howl,  the  crocodile  tears  of  these  mighty  ones 
was  as  repulsive  to  the  foreigner  as  they  were  disgrace- 
ful to  the  Koreans  themselves. 

My  neighbors  had  more  than  once  informed  me,  pre- 
vious to  this  day,  that  “ when  the  war  came  ” they  would 
come  to  see  me — for  the  love  they  bore  me,  I suppose. 

One  of  these,  a man  of  great  bluster  but  thoroughly 
good-natured,  came  this  morning  in  great  mental  agony, 
if  the  wry  face  stood  for  any  internal  agitation,  scraped, 
bowed, rubbed  his  hands,  and  said,  “Honored  sir,  what 
in  the  world  is  your  humble  servant  to  do  ” “Squat 
right  down  here  between  these  two  walls  and  don’t 
stir,”  was  the  only  advice  available,  as  I did  not  want 
him  in  my  house.  The  front  gate  to  the  school  grounds 
was  bolted,  but  that  did  not  keep  the  crowd  from  get- 
ting in  as  long  as  the  drain  was  not  barricaded  and  the 
fence  could  be  climbed. 

From  the  school  hill,  by  the  aid  of  a field  glass,  I 
could  see  the  hill  to  the  west  of  the  palace  covered  with 
fugitives  ; this  while  the  firing  was  going  on.  There 
was  nothing  remarkable  in  this;  on  the  contrary,  it  was 
quite  natural  that  those  nearest  the  firing  should  do 
what  was  done  everywhere  else — try  their  best  to  get 
as  much  space  between  them  and  danger  as  possible. 
But  it  seemed  strange  to  see  men  in  dark  clothing, 
doubtless  Korean  soldiers,  the  farthest  up  the  steep  and 
rugged  hillsides. 

Coming  down  from  the  school  hill,  a few  minutes 
after  the  firing  had  ceased.  Dr.  Scranton  called  out  to 


289 


KOREAN  SOLDIERS. 

the  back,  where,  by  the  way,  all  or  nearly  all  Koreans 
that  came  under  foreign  treatment  seemed  to  have  been 
wounded,  and  that  he  made  the  distance  between  his 
post  at  the  palace  and  the  Si  Pyeng  Won  in  Chong 
Dong  in  an  incredibly  short  time.  Possibly  he  com- 
menced to  run  when  the  firing  began,  feeling  sure  he 
37 


me,  “ I have  a war  patient.”  It  seemed  to  me  impossi- 
ble the  remark  could  have  reference  to  anything  other 
than  to  a mishap  to  one  of  the  neighbors  who  sought 
safety  in  his  compound.  I was  therefore  not  interested 
specially  in  this  new  trophy  of  my  colleague’s,  but  later 
I found  that  a Korean  brave  had  received  a wound  in 


290 


would  need  medical  attention,  and  one  of  those  bullets 
heard  by  the  English  guards  overtook  him  on  the  way. 
If  I remember  correctly  he  lost  his  uniform  in  his  efforts 
to  make  the  hospital. 

My  friend,  the  carpenter,  a man  more  skilled  in  mak- 
ing mud  walls  than  in  trusting  them  in  times  of  danger 
like  the  present,  sent  me  a dispatch  by  a trusted  cooly 
asking  advice  about  sending  his  family  to  the  country. 
As  I knew  he  wanted  to  have  a good  excuse  for  going 
to  the  country  himself,  and  that,  if  advised  to  remain  in 
the  city,  he  would  be  sure  to  move  in  on  me,  I promptly 
and  earnestly  recommended  him  to  break  for  the  bush, 
vvhich  advice  he  followed  with  more  readiness  than 
some  other  I had  had  occasion  to  give  him  in  days 
gone  by. 

A man  in  my  employ  was  found  in  the  street  with 
his  soldier’s  hat  and  blouse  on.  He  came  back  without 
them.  “ How  did  you  come  to  lose  them  ?”  “Why  a 
Japanese  soldier,  whom  I had  the  misfortune  to  meet 
on  the  street,  told  me  to  give  them  to  him.  ‘Take  any- 
thing you  want,  only  do  not  kill  me.’  ” 

We  breakfasted  ; then  acting  under  the  advice  of  the 
United  States  minister,  raised  the  American  flag  on  our 
premises  to  silently  notify  the  Japanese  soldiers  and  the 
Korean  mob,  should  it  get  loose,  that  American  in- 
terests were  here  that  would  receive  the  protection  of 
their  government.  This  done,  several  of  us  sat  down 
to  counsel  together.  When  we  had  compared  views  we 
found  we  knew  as  much  of  what  was  going  to  be  done 
as  we  did  before  the  conference — nothing.  Such  a 
state  of  mental  uncertainty  may  be  ideal  for  the  Bud- 
dhist whose  ambition  is  to  be  equally  balanced  between 
life  and  death,  neither  dead  nor  yet  living,  neither  act- 
ive nor  inactive — but  it  was  not  for  us. 


291 


No  one  could  tell  how  the  Japanese  were^  going  to 
conduct  this  war,  whether  according  to  “civilized” 
methods  or  according  to  true  Asiatic  methods.  Re- 
turning from  our  “council  fire,”  I suggested  to  our 
lamented  Dr.  Hall  to  take  a walk  through  the  city. 
“Will  it  be  safe  and  wise?”  was  his  cautious  reply. 
We  started.  At  the  west  gate  we  found  a strong  guard. 
Here  we  left  the  street  and  went  up  on  the  city  wall. 
No  challenge.  We  unconsciously  straightened  up  a 
little.  We  came  to  the  south  gate.  This  likewise  had 
a heavy  guard.  Cavalrymen  were  met  here.  The  few 
Koreans  in  this  busy  street  were  all  making  for  the  gate. 
Trade  in  everything  except  in  muskmelons  was  sus- 
pended. Loads  of  these  were  brought  in  for  the  early 
market,  dumped  anywhere  on  the  streets  when  the  fir- 
ing began  and  safety  sought  in  flight.  The  ubiquitous 
boy  and  enterprising  local  dealer  gathered  them  up  and 
retailed  them,  war  or  no  war.  I doubt  not  Koreans  suf- 
fered more  real  pain  from  the  effects  of  these  green 
muskmelons  than  they  did  from  Japanese  bullets. 

At  Sang  Dong  we  raised  the  Stars  and  Stri})es  over 
our  hospital  property,  which  probably  inspired  the  Ko- 
reans with  a feeling  of  as  much  security  as  it  did  us, 
and  we  then  went  on.  The  Chinese  consulate  was 
closed,  but  not  looted.  Every  few  rods  sentinels  guarded 
the  street. 

At  Chong  No,  from  the  central  drain  to  the  intersec- 
tion of  the  south  gate  and  east  gate  streets  a large 
force  of  Japanese  infantry  and  cavalry  was  stationed, 
Koreans  were  rigidly  excluded  here.  We  offered  to 
enter,  were  challenged,  but  immediately  Jupiter,  who- 
ever he  was,  nodded  ; we  entered  and,  as  we  expected, 
passed  through  unmolested. 

We  did  not  go  up  to  the  palace,  being  fully  per- 


HOSPri’AL  PROPERTY  AT  SANG  DONG. 


293 


suaded,  no  matter  on  what  evidence,  from  a distance 
of  several  hundred  rods  that  the  Japanese  had  not  only 
seized  the  person  of  his  majesty  the  king,  but  the 
whole  city  as  well.  We  did  not  know  but  our  presence 
might  be  an  embarrassment  to  either  or  to  both  parties,! 
and  therefore  left  the  honor  of  being  the  first  foreigner 
to  enter  the  palace  after  its  capture  to  the  king’s  ad- 
viser, C.  R.  Greathouse. 

By  the  time  we  reached  the  new  west  gate  it  com- 
menced to  rain  in  torrents.  The  stream  of  fugitives 
increased — a bundle  of  clothing  on  the  mother’s  head, 
a child  on  her  back,  one  at  her  side,  and  the  father  fol- 
lowing with  a heavy  load  on  his  back.  The  young,  the 
old,  the  weak,  the  strong,  the  high,  the  low  helped  to 
swell  the  steady  stream  that  for  days  afterward  poured 
out  through  the  seven  gates  of  the  city. 

At  Dr.  Underwood’s  front  gate  we  met  Mr.  Junkin 
coming  in  with  his  family  from  his  home  outside  the 
south  gate.  He  reported  he  had  just  found  out  that 
he  had  about  two  hundred  neighbors  who  were  on  the 
point  of  taking  quarters  with  him  for  an  indefinite  pe- 
riod of  time. 

In  the  evening  I met  an  old  woman  in  front  of  the 
German  consulate.  She  was  in  great  distress  ; walking 
up  and  down  the  street,  folding  her  hands  over  her  head 
and  looking  upward,  she  exclaimed,  “ Lord  of  heaven, 
let  it  not  be  so  ! let  it  not  be  so  ! ” Her  grandson  was 
wounded  in  the  afternoon  when  the  barracks  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  city  were  taken.  She  feared  he 
would  never  return  home  again.  Therefore  she  offered 
this  prayer.  The  young  man  died  that  night. 


294 


Dr  Hall’s  Last  Trip  to  Pyong  Yang. 

Pyong  Yang,  Ociobe7-  8,  1894. 

Dear  Dr.  Stone  : We  had  a very  pleasant  trip  and 
did  not  experience  the  dilLculties  we  anticipated  in 
procuring  accommodations  along  the  road.  We  saw  a 
great  many  dead  horses  and  cattle  along  the  road, 
which  had  been  used  in  conveying  army  supplies. 
Many  villages  were  completely  deserted,  but  the  people 
were  beginning  to  come  back  and  settle  down  again. 
We  had  no  difficulty  in  making  our  way  through  the 
army  lines.  We  met  the  first  large  detachment  of  the 
Japanese  army  at  Whoang  Chu,  one  hundred  ri  south 
of  Pyong  Yang.  They  have  four  hundred  and  fifty 
prisoners  there.  At  Chung  Wha,  fifty  ri  south  of  Pyong 
Yang,  we  saw  the  graves  of  seven  Japanese  scouts,  who 
had  been  killed  by  the  Chinese.  Between  Chung  Wha 
and  ten  ri  south  of  Pyong  Yang  we  saw  one  Chinese 
body  partially  covered.  Ten  ri  from  Pyong  Yang  we 
reached  the  river  and  were  at  once  on  the  field  of 
battle. 

The  battle  commenced  on  September  13.  There 
were  only  a few  shots  fired  that  day.  On  Saturday, 
the  15th,  the  great  battle  was  fought. 

We  have  partially  visited  the  battlefield.  It  is 
strewn  with  Chinese  bodies,  some  of  which  are  still  un- 
buried, the  rest  have  a few  inches  of  dirt  thrown  over 
them.  The  stench  is  terrible  and  the  sight  indescrib- 
able. There  were  fourteen  thousand  Chinese  and  ten 
thousand  Japanese  in  the  armies. 

We  have  met  Mr.  Creelman,  reporter  to  the  New 
York  Wo7'ld,  and  Fredrick  Villiers,  reporter  to  the 
London  Sta7ida7'd.  We  expect  them  with  us  for  supper 
some  evening.  They  are  roughing  it  also. 


295 


Mr,  Moffett’s  things  are  totally  destroyed,  even  to  his 
stores;  so  he  and  Mr.  Lee  are  with  me. 

I have  not  lost  anything.  The  house  where  Mr.  O 
(a  native  convert — the  house  was  used  by  Dr.  Hall  for 
his  dispensary)  lived  has  the  windows  and  doors  torn 
off  and  a little  of  the  wall  torn  down.  Beyond  this  we 
have  lost  nothing.  Our  Christians  have  done  and  are 
doing  wonderfully  well.  We  had  two  services  on  Sun- 
day and  one  to-night  (Monday).  We  think  everything 
is  clear  for  our  remaining  here  for  a while. 

d'he  Chinese  army  is  reported  to  have  gone  into 
China  and  the  Japanese  are  marching  on  to  Wee  Ju. 

A Japanese  (Oshinea)  was  wounded,  and  I have  been 
sent  for  to  visit  him  to-morrow  morning  to  consult  with 
the  Japanese  doctors.  The  city  is  almost  deserted. 
The  Koreans  are  just  beginning  to  come  back.  They 
all  rejoice  to  find  us  here,  and  we  expect  grand  results 
from  our  work  now.  We  have  God’s  sure  promises  and 
believe  the  soil  has  been  made  fertile  and  mellow  and 
will  bring  forth  much  fruit.  As  far  as  our  work  for 
the  Master  stands  it  never  looked  so  hopeful  as 
now.  I am  so  glad  we  are  here,  and  know  God  will 
protect  us. 

A Visit  to  the  Battlefield  of  Pyong  Yang. 

By  Graham  Lee,  in  Korean  Repository^  January,  1895. 

On  the  first  of  last  October,  in  company  with  the  late 
Dr.  Hall  and  Rev.  S.  A.  Moffett,  1 left  Seoul  for  Pyong 
Yang.  We  wished  to  find  out  what  had  become  of  our 
Christians  and  how  they  had  passed  the  time  during  the 
late  stirring  events.  The  city  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
Japanese,  and  the  Chinese  soldiers  were  flying  toward 
China  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry  them.  Armed 
with  passports  from  the  Japanese  minister  we  set  out 
upon  our  journey.  This  time  1 tried  the  experiment  of 


296 


touring  in  Korea  on  a bicycle,  and  found  it  a great  suc- 
cess. Traveling  in  the  land  of  the  morning  calm,  at  the 
best,  is  hard  and  disagreeable,  and  if  there  is  anything 
by  which  one  can  make  the  journey  less  tedious  it  be- 
hooves him  to  make  use  of  it. 

It  is  my  experience  that  spinning  along  on  a good 
“wheel  “ is  a deal  more  interesting,  and  much  less  tire- 
some than  sitting  all  day,  Korean  fashion,  perched  on 
top  of  a pony  load,  with  your  feet  dangling  over  on  each 
side  of  your  horse’s  neck.  We  reached  Pyong  Vang 
Saturday  afternoon,  and  crossed  the  river  on  a pontoon 
bridge  of  Korean  boats,  built  by  the  Chinese,  who  in 
their  hurry  to  depart  forgot  to  destroy  it.  The  first  few 
days  we  spent  in  viewing  the  battlefield,  and  truly  it 
was  a sight  to  one  unused  to  scenes  of  war.  That  we 
may  have  some  idea  of  this  battlefield,  which  in  future 
will  be  looked  back  upon  as  a crisis  in  the  history  of 
these  nations  of  the  far  East,  let  us  present  in  general 
the  plan  of  attack.  Pyong  Yang  is  a walled  city,  and  it 
is  most  admirably  situated  for  purposes  of  defense.  In 
front  runs  the  Ta  Tong  River,  too  wide  and  too  deep 
to  be  crossed  in  the  face  of  a determined  foe.  To  the 
north,  inside  the  city  wall,  is  a hill,  some  hundreds  of 
feet  high,  which  commands  the  surrounding  country  for 
miles.  Xo  enemy  could  take  Pyong  Vang  until  its  de- 
fenders had  been  driven  out  of  this  key  position. 

The  Chinese  army  had  been  in  Pyong  Y^ang  some 
forty  days,  and  had  had  ample  time  to  intrenA  them- 
selves most  strongly  in  and  about  the  city ; but  in- 
trenchments,  be  they  never  so  strong,  are  of  little  use 
unless  manned  by  brave  men.  I do  not  say  that  the 
Chinese  soldiers,  who  tried  to  hold  Pyong  Yang,  are 
cowards,  but  I must  say  from  what  I saw  that  in  most  of 
the  positions  given  up  by  the  Chinese  there  was  little 


FROM  WAR  IN  THE  EAST,  ZIEGLER  i CO.  , PHILADELPH  A.  I’HK  ATTACK  ON  PYONG  YANG 

{yn/'a>icsr  < ross/»t;  the  Ta  Tong  on  pontoon  bridge.) 


38 


298 


evidence  of  hard  fighting.  The  Chinese  seemed  to  ex- 
pect the  main  attack  from  across  the  river  in  their 
front,  and  here  they  were  well  prepared,  but  the 
Japanese  did  not  see  fit  to  give  battle  according  as  the 
Chinese  had  planned  for  it.  For  two  days  the  Japanese 
kept  up  a cannon  demonstration  from  across  the  river 
in  front,  and  while  the  attention  of  the  Chinese  was 
turned  that  way  two  divisions  of  the  Japanese  army 
marched  around  to  the  rear  of  the  city  and  got  in 
readiness  to  attack  at  a given  time.  On  the  morning  of 
September  15  all  was  in  readiness,  and  very  early  a 
combined  attack  was  begun  from  three  sides.  The 
Chinese  were  driven  out  of  position  after  position,  and 
before  night  the  Japanese  were  in  possession  of  all  the 
outer  works.  The  Chinese  still  held  the  high  hill  at 
the  north,  and  on  this  hung  their  fate.  This  was  the 
key  of  the  whole  position,  and,  once  taken,  the  battle  of 
Pyong  Yang  was  over.  Some  time  during  the  evening 
of  the  15th  the  Japanese  made  a grand  charge,  and  up 
the  steep  sides  of  this  hill  they  went  in  the  very  teeth  of 
the  Chinese  rifles.  It  was  a brave  charge,  and  was  made 
with  such  vigor  that  the  hill  was  carried  with  a rush. 

After  this  there  was  nothing  left  but  retreat  for  the 
Chinese,  and  little  chance  of  this,  for  the  Japanese  were 
on  every  side  of  the  city.  On  the  night  of  the  15th  in  the 
darkness  and  rain,  the  Chinese  army,  demoralized  by 
the  defeat  of  the  day,  and  dreading  capture  by  their 
foes,  left  the  city.  Their  leaving  was  not  a retreat ; it 
was  a flight.  Out  of  the  south  gate  they  went  tramping 
each  other  down  in  the  mad  rush.  Once  outside  the 
wall  they  seem  to  have  scattered  to  the  hills  like  sheep, 
every  man  for  himself.  For  miles  about  the  city  the 
country  is  strewn  with  pieces  of  Chinese  clothing  thrown 
away  on  this  eventful  night. 


299 


Such  was  the  poor  defense  of  Pyong  Yang  by  the 
Chinese  army.  Were  we,  who  saw  that  battlefield, 
asked  why  the  Chinese  made  such  a poor  stand  against 
a foe  that  from  time  immemorial  they  have  despised  as 
unworthy  of  their  prowess,  we  would  not  be  hard  put  to 
find  the  reason. 

Among  other  things  thrown  away  by  these  fleeing j 
Chinese  were  great  numbers  of  fans  and  paper  um- : 
brellas.  It  is  almost  beyond  the  comprehension  of  a 
Westerner  that  a soldier  should  carry  as  part  of  his 
equipment  a fan  to  cool  his  heated  brow  and  a paper 
umbrella  to  shield  his  devoted  head.  The  Chinese  , 
were  armed  with  good  guns,  as  the  Krupp  cannon 
and  modern  rifles  among  the  trophies  of  war  testify,  but  | 
they  were  also  loaded  down  with  a lot  of  trumpery 
which  was  worse  than  useless  in  time  of  battle.  As  a 
trophy  of  this  battlefield  I picked  up  a large  two- 
handed  sword,  which  had  a blade  about  two  feet  long 
and  a handle  about  four.  It  was  clumsy  and  awkward, 
and  absolutely  useless  as  a weapon  in  these  days  of  the 
magazine  rifle  and  Gatling  gun.  Also  scattered  about  ^ 
I saw  many  bamboo  pikes  with  rough  iron  tips  which  ! 
were  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  big  sword.  Such  ^ 
things  showed  that  the  Chinese  army  was  several  him-  \ 
‘ dred  years  behind  the  times.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  an 

army,  unpatriotic,  poorly  drilled,  and  badly  equipped, 
could  make  no  stand  against  an  opposing  force  smaller 
' in  number,  but  patriotic  to  a man,  drilled  almost  to  per- 

i fection,  and  armed  with  the  best  of  modern  implements 

; of  warfare  ? 

Some  of  the  sights  to  be  seen  on  this  battlefield  were 
I horrible  in  the  extreme.  The  dead  that  fell  near  the 

I city  had  mostly  been  covered,  but  those  killed  some 

distance  away  were  lying  all  unburied.  In  one  place  I 

i 


300 


counted  over  twenty  bodies  literally  piled  one  on  top  of 
another  lying  just  as  they  liad  been  shot  down.  In 
another  place  where  a body  of  Manchurian  cavalry  ran 
into  an  ambush  of  Japanese  infantry  the  carnage  was 
frightful.  Several  hundred  men  and  horses,  lying  as 
they  had  fallen,  made  a swarth  of  bodies  nearly  a quar- 
ter of  a mile  long  and  several  yards  wide.  It  was  three 
weeks  after  the  battle,  and  the  bodies  were  all  there 
unmolested  even  by  the  dogs.  One  can  imagine  what 
must  have  been  the  sights  and  smells  about  the  place. 
These  Manchus  were  said  to  have  been  charging  a 
force  of  Japanese  infantry,  but  all  the  evidence  of  the 
field  leads  me  to  think  that  they  were  simply  trying  to 
get  away,  and  happened  on  this  ambush.  One  fact  that 
especially  leads  me  to  think  so  was  the  condition  of  a 
gun  found  near  one  of  these  dead  cavalrymen.  It  was 
a Winchester  carbine  of  the  magazine  sort,  and  it  had 
eight  shells  in  the  magazine  and  none  in  the  barrel,  and, 
what  is  more,  the  lever  used  for  ejecting  the  old  shell 
and  throwing  in  a new  one  was  locked.  Surely  a 
soldier  with  his  gun  in  such  a condition  was  not  making 
a charge.  Had  he  been  fighting  instead  of  running 
away  his  gun  barrel  would  have  held  either  a loaded  or 
exploded  shell,  and  the  lever  would  have  been  unlocked 
ready  for  quick  service.  Another  fact  that  leads  to  the 
same  conclusion  was  the  finding  of  two  large  lumps  of 
crude  opium,  which  must  have  weighed  seven  or  eight 
pounds.  Would  any  cavalryman  going  into  a charge 
have  loaded  himself  down  with  such  a burden  ? The 
one  who  carried  this  was  evidently  doing  his  best  to 
save  himself  and  liis  opium. 

Some  of  these  sights  were  not  only  horrible,  but  sad 
as  well.  In  an  empty  Korean  house  I saw  the  body  of 
one  poor  Chinese  soldier.  He  had  been  wounded  and 


301 


had  crawled  into  this  house  to  die.  By  his  head  was 
standing  his  water  bottle,  showing  that  the  poor  fellow 
had  probably  lived  some  hours  before  death  brought 
relief  to  his  sufferings. 

Before  going  to  Pyong  Yang  we  had  heard  about  the 
mines  which  the  Chinese  had  laid ; which  mines,  as  the 
report  went,  had  been  exploded  after  the  Japanese 
entered  the  city,  doing  great  damage.  As  with 
most  rumors  this  one  had  a basis  of  truth,  for  we  saw 
the  mines.  One  day,  while  following  along  one  of  the 
Chinese  intrenchments,  out  southeast  of  the  city,  we 
came  across  the  remains  of  an  electric  battery.  It  had 
been  smashed  to  pieces,  and  the  broken  cells  were  scat- 
tered all  about.  What  had  it  been  used  for  was  the 
question.  Looking  about  we  saw  the  ends  of  five  elec- 
tric wires  which  led  out  across  the  embankment  and 
then  underground.  They  had  not  been  laid  deeply  and 
were  easy  to  follow.  With  keenly  aroused  interest  we 
struck  off  across  the  field  eagerly  following  up  this  elec- 
tric trail.  For  a quarter  of  a mile  it  led  us,  and  then 
suddenly  our  search  was  rewarded  and  we  found  what 
we  had  not  expected  to  see,  the  terrible  (?)  mines 
planted  by  the  Chinese.  These  five  wires  ran  to  five 
shells,  three  of  which  were  planted  some  fifty  feet 
apart,  while  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  distant 
were  planted  two  more  the  same  distance  apart.  All 
had  been  exploded,  and  each  one  made  a hole  about  six 
feet  deep  and  ten  feet  across.  These  were  the  terrible 
mines  of  which  we  had  heard.  It  is  difficult  to  under- 
stand what  those  who  planted  these  shells  had  in  mind. 
Had  the  Japanese  army  taken  a position  on  top  of  these 
mines  and  waited  for  them  to  be  exploded  a few  men 
might  have  been  hurt,  but  otherwise  the  chances  of 
doing  much  execution  were  slight.  Then,  too,  the  mines 


302 


were  laid  in  a field  of  standing  corn,  which  would  have 
made  it  very  difficult  for  the  man  in  charge  of  the 
battery  to  know  just  when  an  advancing  enemy  was  in 
position  to  be  blown  uj).  The  shells  had  all  been  ex- 
ploded, but  there  was  no  evidence  of  the  enemy  having 
been  in  their  vicinity.  The  Japanese  made  their  attack 
in  another  place.  The  man  in  charge  may  have  touched 
them  off  just  before  bolting,  or,  what  is  more  likely,  the 
Japanese  set  them  off  after  winning  the  victory. 

Some  of  the  Korean  stories  about  the  battle  are  in- 
teresting, not  only  for  the  vivid  imagination  they  show, 
but  because  they  bring  out  most  clearly  the  deep-seated 
hatred  of  anything  Japanese  and  the  ingrained  inherited 
regard  for  anything  belonging  to  China.  One  of  these 
will  suffice  to  illustrate  both  these  traits  as  well  as  the 
Korean  imagination.  It  is  told  by  the  Koreans  that 
General  Mah,  one  of  the  Chinese  generals,  became  dis- 
gusted at  the  way  his  soldiers  fought,  and  just  at  this 
juncture,  being  wounded  in  the  ankle,  he  became  very 
angry.  Marching  to  his  quarters  he  donned  his  armor 
and,  grasping  a cannon  in  his  hand,  he  sallied  forth 
single-handed  against  the  Japanese  army,  and  by  his 
own  unaided  efforts  killed  two  hundred  Japanese 
soldiers. 

The  poor  Koreans  of  Pyong  Yang  have  had  a hard 
time.  Although  not  responsible  for  the  war,  yet  they 
have  had  to  endure  its  attendant  evils.  l\[any  have  lost 
their  all,  but  this  has  been  nothing  more  than  just 
punishment  for  the  dreadful  lives  of  sin  they  have  lived. 
Let  us  hope  that  Pyong  Vang,  made  thoughtful  by  her 
fiery  trial,  will  be  more  ready  in  the  future  to  hear  of 
that  way  of  salvation  which  alone  can  save  man  from 
his  sins. 


303 


Dr.  Hall’s  Last  Published  Letter. 

Pyong  Yang,  October  17. 

' Dear  Dr.  Stone  : Our  work  never  looked  as  en- 
couraging here  as  now.  The  trying  circumstances 
through  which  all  have  passed  have  culled  out  the  dross, 
and  only  the  gold  remains.  We  are  now  on  rock  bot- 
tom, praise  the  Lord  ! We  have  very  interesting  serv- 
ices every  night.  I rejoice  that  we  came  when  we  did. 
The  hymns  of  praise  that  less  than  a year  ago,  when 
sung,  brought  cursing  and  stones  upon  us  from  the  sur- 
rounding neighborhood,  are  now  listened  to  with  de- 
light, and  carry  with  them  a feeling  of  security  similar 
to  the  sound  of  the  policeman’s  whistle  in  New  York. 
Comparatively  few  of  the  Koreans  have  yet  returned  to 
their  houses,  but  every  day  brings  new  additions. 
Every  day  numbers  of  those  who  have  returned  and 
those  from  the  surrounding  towns  and  villages  visit  us. 
They  buy  our  books  and  seem  far  more  deeply  inter- 
ested i-n  the  Gospel  than  I have  ever  seen  them  before. 
While  the  Chinese  army  was  here  our  Christians  started 
a flour  mill  and  sold  flour  to  the  Chinese,  and  in  that 
way  supported  themselves.  Every  Sunday  the  mill  was 
shut  down  and  no  flour  sold.  It  makes  my  hearts 
rejoice  to  know  how  faithful  our  Christians  have  been 
under  such  trying  circumstances.  True  heroes  for 
Christ!  They  put  on  the  jiggy  (a  rack  for  the  back 
used  in  carrying  loads)  and  bring  in  wood  and  water, 
and  so  forth.  Chang  Siky  sets  them  the  grand  example. 
It  is  taking  all  the  Yangpanism  out  of  them,  praise  the 
Lord  ! 

My  patients  are  daily  increasing.  I have  several  gun- 
shot wounds.  I use  my  bamboo  cot  for  a stretcher  and 
our  Christians  as  the  ambul.ince  staff. 

Our  property  and  work  are  now  in  most  satisfactory 


304 


shape.  Of  course,  we  do  not  know  what  turn  things 
will  take  next,  but  we  are  hoping  and  praying  that  every 
turn  will  work  together  for  our  good  and  God’s  glory. 
The  Koreans  rejoice  to  have  us  with  them,  and  the  Jap- 
anese treat  us  very  kindly. 

Our  time  of  stay  here  will  be  governed  by  circum- 
stances. ' 

Pioneer  Work  in  Korea. — Dr.  Hall’s  Work  Com- 
pleted. 

From  The  Chinese  Recorder^  February,  1895. 

The  readers  of  the  Recoj'der  have  doubtless  become 
interested  in  the  pioneer  work  of  Dr.  Hall  in  the  north 
of  Korea,  and  so  will  appreciate  a few  words  telling  of 
his  last  earthly  labors  for  the  Master.  His  letter  in  the 
November  Recorder  told  of  his  expectation  to  return  to 
his  work  in  Pyong  Yang  in  company  with  i\Ir.  Lee  and 
the  writer  of  this.  We  reached  Pyong  Yang  within  three 
weeks  after  the  great  battle,  and  for  over  a month  were 
able  to  stay  there,  reassuring  the  frightened  Koreans, 
looking  after  our  interests  there,  preaching  the  Gospel 
and  healing  the  sick.  Dr.  Hall  was  busy  from  morning 
till  night  attending  the  sick,  directing  his  men,  reestab- 
lishing his  school  for  boys,  and  holding  service  every 
evening  with  the  Koreans.  It  was  his  privilege  to  see 
some  of  the  first  fruits  of  his  labors,  and  at  this  time  he 
examined  a class  of  six  applicants  who  had  for  several 
months  received  instruction.  Four  of  these  he  baptized 
as  he  received  them  into  the  Church  of  Christ.  The 
Lord  was  especially  gracious  to  him  in  giving  him  this 
privilege  as  his  last  work  in  that  city,  where  sin  and 
Satan  had  such  a stronghold.  It  was  with  greatest  joy 
he  praised  the  Lord  on  that  Sunday  for  having  allowed 
him  to  see  the  evidence  of  faith  in  the  hearts  of  these 


305 


men.  Shortly  after  this  the  doctor 
effects  of  his  untiring  application  to 


|to  feel  the 
hysical  and 


spiritual  needs  of  this  people,  who  had  taken  such  a 
strong  hold  upon  his  heart’s  affections.  This,  together 
with  the  exposure  of  the  past  year  in  his  numerous  visits 
to  Pyong  Yang,  had  left  him  in  poor  condition  to  with- 
stand the  dreadfully  unhealthy  condition  of  the  atmos- 
phere in  and  around  this  city,  which  had  been  the  bat- 
tlefield. The  decaying  bodies  of  men,  horses,  and  cattle 
were  so  numerous  that  in  whichever  direction  we  went 
we  came  across  them  constantly,  so  that  the  atmosphere 
was  foul  beyond  all  expression.  We  all  suffered  from 
malaria,  and  as  this  seemed  to  have  taken  more  serious 
hold  upon  the  doctor  we  arranged  to  leave  for  Soul 
by  Japanese  transport.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the 
official  we  were  able  to  do  this,  and  after  going  down  the 
Ta  Tong  River  some  forty  miles  we  embaiked  on  board  a 
transport  carrying  some  six  hundred  sick  soldiers,  who 
were  suffering  from  dysentery  and  various  fevers.  We 
had  a pleasant  voyage,  and  when  we  reached  Chemulpo 
all  thought  the  doctor  had  almost  recovered  from  his 
fever,  but  the  sequel  shows  that  he  had  probably  con- 
tracted typhus  fever  on  the  transport.  After  a day  in 
Chemulpo,  in  which  he  seemed  fairly  well  again,  his 
fever  went  up  and  continued  to  rise  while  we  awaited 
the  arrival  of  the  small  river  steamer  upon  which  we 
took  passage  for  Soul.  Leaving  in  the  afternoon,  by 
dark  we  had  reached  a point  opposite  Kang-hoa  Island, 
when  we  struck  a rock  and  nearly  capsized.  All  efforts 
to  free  the  steamer  were  futile,  so  there  was  nothing  for 
us  to  do  but  to  get  the  doctor  on  shore,  make  him  as 
comfortable  as  possible  in  a Korean  hut,  and  seek  for  a 
junk.  This  we  secured  at  daybreak,  and  after  a slow 
journey  reached  Soul  the  next  morning.  Here  in  the 


3o6 


hands  of  hi^vife',^nd  with  all  the  care  the  doctors  could 
give  him,  woTiop^d  he  would  recover,  but  the  Lord  had 
higher  service  for  him,  and  he  left  us  on  Saturday, 
November  24,  entering  into  his  reward. 

Short  as  was  his  service  in  Korea  (three  years)  none 
had  been  more  faithful,  and  no  one  was  more  ripe  for 
heaven  than  he.  It  seems  to  us  that  in  recognition  of 
his  fidelity  and  his  rare  consecration  the  Master  has 
called  him  to  a higher  place  and  a more  glorious  serv- 
ice. Well  do  I remember  the  calm  assurance  with 
which  he  left  it  all  with  the  Lord  as  we  talked  of  the  prob- 
ability of  his  going.  He  remarked  that  he  had  been 
willing  to  leave  home  when  the  Master  called  him  to 
Korea,  to  leave  Soul  when  he  was  called  to  Pyong 
Yang,  and  that  he  was  ready  and  willing  to  go  to  other 
service  on  high  if  the  Master  called  him  from  earth. 
He  was  a man  of  great  faith,  great  love,  and  great 
humility.  His  prayers  were  an  inspiration  to  us.  His 
love  for  the  Koreans  was  such  that  although  he  had  not 
been  here  long  enough  to  have  gained  a fluent  use  of 
the  language,  yet  he  had  loved  some  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  and  he  had'  exercised  a great  influence 
upon  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  His  love  for 
children  was  especially  noteworthy,  and  whether  in 
New  York  or  in  the  foreign  community  in  Soul,  or 
among  the  Koreans  in  Pyong  Yang,  the  children  were 
always  around  him  and  always  occupied  a large  place  in 
his  plans  for  work.  When  beginning  his  work  in 
Pyong  Yang  he  was  not  satisfied  until  he  had  secured  a 
school-teacher,  gathered  a number  of  boys  and  estab- 
lished a school,  so  that  he  could  at  once  influence  the 
children  and  win  them  to  Christ.  Great  was  his  joy 
when  one  of  these  boys  had  induced  his  parents  to  give 
up  spirit  worship  and  allow  him  to  kneel  in  the  midst 


307 


of  them  offering  prayer  to  the  only  living  and  true  God. 
This  boy  he  received  into  the  Church,  and  no  privilege 
the  Master  gave  him  was  the  source  of  greater  pleasure. 

In  the  community  Dr.  Hall  was  known  as  a thor- 
oughly sincere,  earnest  Christian,  whose  love  for  all  led 
him  to  be  continually  serving  others.  He  has  been  a 
blessing  to  his  fellow-workers,  a blessing  to  the  Koreans, 
and  an  influence  in  the  establishment  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  in  Korea.  As  one  most  intimately  acquainted 
with  him  in  his  work  in  Pyong  Yang  it  is  my  privilege  to 
bear  witness  to  his  fidelity,  to  the  solid  character  of  his 
work,  and  to  the  great  hold  which  he  had  upon  the 
hearts  of  the  people  who  intimately  recognized  his  great 
sympathetic  love  for  them.  May  the  Lord  send  us 
many  more  such  missionaries! 

His  wife,  who  was  so  earnestly  laboring  with  him  and 
who  had  endured  not  only  the  hardship  of  service  with 
him  in  Pyong  Yang,  but  also  the  hardship  of  separation 
from  him  during  part  of  that  work,  has  decided  to  re- 
turn to  America  for  a few  years.  Our  prayers  and  our 
sympathy  go  with  her  in  the  hope  that  she  may  be  able 
to  return  and  carry  on  their  work  so  well  begun. 

Samuel  A.  Moffett. 


M.  E.  xMlSSlON  OK  KOREA  IN  i8.;3,  AT  'I'lIE  TIME  OF  'J’lIE  VISKI'  Ol-’  HISHOK  FOSTER,  DR.  I.EONARI),  AND  MRS.  KEEN. 


309 


CHAPTER  X. 

Social  and  Home  Life. 

“ The  Holy  Supper  is  kept,  indeed, 

In  whatso  we  share  with  another’s  need; 

Not  what  we  give,  but  what  we  share. 

For  the  gift  without  the  giver  is  bare. 

Who  gives  himself  with  his  alms  feeds  three — 

Himself,  his  hungry  neighbor,  and  Me.” 

— Lowell. 

A^i'ue  guide  has  left  us — Characteristics — Mr.  Gilroy’s  interest  in 
Dr.  Hall — “An  ideal  home” — Will  he  never  marry? — An  in- 
mate of  Dr.  Stone’s  home — Does  not  agree  to  be  consigned  to 
the  life  of  a bachelor — A love  story  from  real  life — Mr.  Merritt 
hands  the  Madison  Street  work  over  to  Dr.  Hall — Plans  for  its 
enlargement — Some  encouraging  results — “ Hammered  ware” 
— Motherly  gentleness — Illustrations  from  personal  observance 
of  the  doctor’s  life  in  the  slums — Has  he  forgotten  the  foreign 
field  ? — Quotations  from  private  letters — Bishop  Thoburn  wants 
him  for  India — Thinks  of  going  out  under  Chinese  government 
employ — Sent  for  by  Dr.  Baldwin — Hopes  to  go  to  Korea — 
The  way  seems  hedged — Accepts  appointment  to  West  China 
— Released  to  go  to  Korea — James  A.  Seaman’s  tribute — Sails 
for  Korea — Married — Visits  China — Begins  the  new  home — 
Hospitality — Bishop  Mallalieu  appoints  liim  to  Pyong  Yang — 
Meeting  the  doctor  on  one  of  his  return  trips — Accompanying 
him  into  the  country — His  methods  of  work — Delight  of  having 
- the  doctor  at  home — The  two  homeless, waifs — His  son — 
Glimpses  of  the  real  heart  life — The  Soul  side  of  the  story  of  the 
persecution  at  Pyong  Yang — Dr.  Hall’s  last  days  at  home — 
The  grave  on  the  banks  of  the  Han. 

A TRAVELER  as  he  pushes  his  journey  into  the  night 
is  guided  by  the  presence  of  a light  held  by  a hand 
unseen.  He  enjoys  its  companionship  and  cheer  as  he 
moves  on  with  sure  footsteps.  Scarcely  does  he  realize 


310 


its  value  till  suddenly  it  disappears  and  the  traveler  is 
left  amazed  at  the  depth  of  darkness  around.  So  we 
feel  in  the  death  of  our  beloved  brother,  Dr.  Hall — a 
holy  life,  shining  brightly;  truly  a guide  has  suddenly 
left  us,  and  we  are  brought  to  know  how  great  a place 
he  filled  in  our  lives.  Memory  now  fondly  traces  the 
character  we  loved.  He  was  best  known  as  a friend. 
He  was  unchangeable  as  the  oak.  Familiarity  never 
lessened  the  strength  of  the  inwrought  fiber  of  his 
friendship.  Close  associations,  that  so  often  make 
friends  careless  and  indifferent,  only  bound  him  a more 
devoted  worshiper  at  its  shrine. 

In  boyhood  he  would  part  with  his  school  friends  at 
night  only  to  wait  with  impatience  for  the  next  morn- 
ing’s greeting,  not  alone  for  self-satisfaction,  but  with 
studied  plans  for  their  happiness. 

Friendship  he  ever  craved.  A cool  heart  was  his 
greatest  grief  and  a sign  for  its  immediate  conquest. 
Many  the  flower  he,  unseen,  dropped  by  love’s  hand  on 
others’  pathway.  They  came  drifting  over  one  like 
sifted  flakes  by  breezes  scattered  from  some  near 
bloom-laden  hedge. 

He  was  a man  of  mighty  faith.  Though  scrutinizing 
evil,  and  realizing  obstacles,  their  import  unable  to 
fathom  by  reason,  and  though  in  view  of  but  a grain  of 
leavening  right,  he  by  an  unconquerable  faith  waited 
for  right’s  fulfillment.  In  dangers  and  storms,  or  in 
safety  and  peace,  within  his  soul  ever  reigned  a great 
calm. 

A man  of  fine  executive  ability,  born  to  lead,  with 
that  rare  gift  for  directing  affairs  and  leaving  others  to 
feel  that  they  were  doing  it  all,  holding  in  view  the 
work  of  those  around  him  with  definite  plans  for  its 
extension,  yet  never  imposing  his  views  upon  others 


31 


unless  called  forth  by  counsel  or  compelled  by  duty  ; 
ever  deserving  and  winning  favor,  yet  earnestly  shun- 
ning notoriety. 

Strangers  met  and  respected  him,  acquaintances  loved 
him,  intimate  associates  revered  the  noble  grandeur  of 
his  character.  In  that  character  he  who  mined  the 
deepest  found  the  most  precious  gems. 

He  stepped  from  us  so  lightly  that  we  scarcely  knew 
that  he  was  gone  until  we  reached  for  a grasp  of  his 
warm  hand  and  listened  in  vain  for  his  familiar  voice, 
or  gazed  upon  the  field  of  his  recent  labor  in  the  North, 
hallowed  by  his  sufferi  igs  and  final  great  sacrifice.  It 
was  a precious  gift  he  made  to  Pyong  Yang.  Without 
a murmur,  but  with  rejoicing  his  life  was  given.  Like 
O’Connell,  he  labored  for  the  freedom  of  men,  and 
though  a nation  has  not  bowed  before  his  name  in  grati- 
tude for  broken  shackles,  individuals  have.  He  set  in 
motion  liberty’s  wave  in  the  hearts  of  some  that  shall 
roll  on  till  multitudes  join  the  flood  and  the  Korean 
nation  shall  count  him  one  of  her  benefactors. 

“ His  life  was  gentle,  and-the  elements 
So  mixed  in  him  that  Nature  could  stand  up 
And  say  to  all  the  world,  ‘ This  was  a man  ! ’ ” 

One  seldom  thinks  of  timidness  as  one  of  the  quali- 
ties of  such  a strong  character  as  Dr.  Hall  possessed, 
and  yet  he  was  most  timid  by  nature.  It  was  this  that 
held  him  back  at  first  from  going  forward  to  the  altar 
in  the  old  stone  schoolhouse,  his  spiritual  birthplace, 
and  that  later  made  him  hesitate  to  take  the  step  of  en- 
tire consecration  ; but  though  timid  he  was  no  coward. 
Mrs.  Gilroy,  a dear  Glen  Buell  friend,  writes  that  she 
never  knew  of  his  missing  a chance  to  witness  for  God 
or  engage  in  prayer. 

And,  just  as  he  had  apprehended,  Jimmy  Hall  was 


312 


often  impelled  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  do'^or  say  things 
from  which  his  timid  nature  sorely  shrank.  Once  when 
attending  a country  party,  when  some  of  the  young  people 
present  proposed  to  end  it  in  a dance,  he  felt  impressed 
with  the  duty  of  offering  a prayer.  Gladly  would  he 
have  gone  away  and  left  the  gay  young  people  to  please 
themselves  ; but  no  ; he  must  obey  his  convictions  at 
the  risk  of  being  made  fun  of,  and  he  did,  with  the  re- 
sult that  instead  of  a dance  the  party  was  turned  into  a 
prayer  meeting  ! 

Another  time,  when  seeing  a young  lady  friend  home 
from  church  one  Sunday  evening,  he  felt  he  ought  to 
speak  to  her  about  her  soul’s  salvation,  but  he  bade  her 
good  night  without  having  done  so.  Upon  his  way 
home  there  came  over  him  such  a strong  sense  that  his 
neglected  duty  might  imperil  the  soul  of  his  friend  that, 
singular  as  he  knew  it  would  appear,  he  returned  to  the 
home  of  the  young  lady  and  asked  to  see  her  again. 
To  his  great  satisfaction  he  found  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
had  preceded — that  the  young  lady  was  desirous  of 
making  her  peace  with  God,  and  had  wished  upon  their 
way  home  that  he  would  talk  to  her  about  it.  She  was 
soundly  converted  that  night.  One  week  from  that 
time,  stricken  by  a sudden  illness,  this* young  lady  lay 
dead  in  her  coffin.  How  doubly  thankful  then  was 
Jimmy  Hall  that  he  had  allowed  the  Holy  Spirit  to  use 
him  as  he  would — that  God’s  grace  overcame  his  timid- 
ness. 

Just  here  let  us  pause  as  we  are  thinking  of  the  old 
days  in  the  doctor’s  home  at  Glen  Buell,  and  relate  in 
the  words  of  his  much-esteemed  neighbor,  C.  J.  Gilroy, 
how  the  news  of  the  doctor’s  own  death  was  broken  to 
his  family.  It  was  most  fitting  that  to  this  dear  and 
lifelong  friend  this  sad  task  should  be  committed.  “I 


313 


shall  never  forget,”  writes  Mr.  Gilroy,  “the  great  look 
of  sadness  and  disappointment  which  came  over  his  be- 
loved mother’s  face  when  I conveyed  to  her  the  sad, 
sad  news  of  his  death.  I got  along  fairly  well  with  Mr. 
Hall,  his  father,  and  also  with  the  brothers  ; the  sisters 
were  absent,  and  it  was  very  hard  to  break  the  sad  in- 
telligence to  his  mother,  who  would  have  found  it  a 
great  privilege  to  have  laid  down  her  life  to  save  his.” 
Mr.  Gilroy  also  speaks  of  the  largely  attended  memo- 
rial service  that  was  held,  and  of  the  marble  tablet 
erected  by  his  family  for  him  in  the  home  church,  sim- 
ilar to  the  one  he  had  himself  ordered  for  his  friend, 
W.  J.  Hayes. 

Mr.  Gilroy  adds  also:  “ It  was  at  the  time  Miss  Karley 
was  teaching  him  that  I first  took  an  interest  in  the  boy, 
James  Hall.  The  teacher  boarded  in  our  home,  and  he 
used  often  to  be  here  getting  extra  lessons,  or  com- 
pleting the  ones  in  hand.  From  this  time  forward 
until  he  settled  in  far-away  Korea,  I have  had  great  in- 
terest in  his  development,  and  have  often  been  blessed 
of  God  in  telling  other  young  people  how  that  the 
Lord  had  opened  the  several  doors  of  usefulness  to  him 
just  as  soon  as  he  was  ready  to  step  in  and  enjoy  the 
blessed  privileges,  and  He  would  do  so  for  any  of  His 
servants  He  could  trust  with  the  care  of  His  lambs 
and  sheep.” 

It  was  in  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gilroy  that  later 
Dr.  Hall  committed  the  care  of  a little  girl  he  rescued 
from  the  slums  of  New  York.  He  often  spoke  of  their 
home  as  an  “ideal  home,”  and  in  his  secret  heart 
looked  forward  to  the  time  when  he  might  himself  have 
such  a home.  Little  guessing  these  thoughts  dear 
Mrs.  Gilroy  once  remarked  to  him  that  she  thought 
that  he  would  never  get  married.  He  asked  her  rea- 
40 


3H 


son,  and  she  replied  that  he  was  so  busy  in  his  work  she 
thought  he  would  never  find  time.  But  to  her  surprise 
he  assured  her  that  some  day  he  hoped  to  have  a part- 
ner in  his  lifework. 

While  a student  in  New  York  Dr.  Hall  lived  at  the 
home  of  the  International  Medical  Missionary  Society, 
at  ii8  East  45th  Street.  The  cheap  board  provided 
here  did  not  include  lunch,  which  he  often  went  with- 
out, or,  at  best,  made  five  cents  purchases.  Home  com- 
forts were  not  many,  but  he  never  complained. 

After  graduating  in  1889  he  became  associated  with 
Dr.  J.  Sumner  Stone  in  the  New  York  City  Church 
Extension  and  Missionary  Society,  and  for  a year  he 
became  an  inmate  of  Dr.  Stone’s  own  home.  Here, 
again,  he  found  an  “ ideal  home,”  that  made  him  long 
for  one  of  his  own.  However,  his  friends  continued  to 
think  that  he  chose  the  life  of  a bachelor  ; but  the 
good  doctor  knew  he  was  only  waiting  to  find  the  one 
that  he  believed  God  had  in  training  somewhere  for 
him.  And  he  had  not  long  now  to  wait. 

There  are  some  men  whose  inner  life  we  never  pene- 
trate, who  present  to  the  world  none  of  the  warmth 
and  tenderness  which  the  human  heart  craves.  Such 
was  John  Calvin.  But,  again,  with  others  we  live  and 
talk  in  pleasant  companionship  ; we  see  their  struggles, 
their  hopes,  and  their  fears.  They  lead  us  into  the 
sunny  paths  of  their  joys,  as  well  as  on  the  rugged 
peaks  of  their  conflicts.  Such  was  Luther,  and  such 
was  Dr.  Hall. 

One  busy  day  in  November,  1889,  Mrs.  H.  L.  Jen- 
kins, trained  nurse  at  the  New  York  Deaconess  Home, 
who,  with  Misses  Lewis  and  Casterton,  often  gave  Dr. 
Hall  valuable  help  in  his  dispensary  work,  stepped  into 
the  consulting  room  of  the  Roosevelt  Street  Dispensary 


315 


and  said,  “Dr.  Hall,  I have  brought  our  newly  arrived 
doctor  at  the  Deaconess  Home  to  help  you.”  The  good 
doctor  looked  up  from  the  little  patient  he  was  exam- 
ining, and,  as  he  afterward  claimed,  “ fell  in  love  at  first 
sight  ” with  the  young  woman  who  stood  in  the  door- 
way. 

Dr.  Rosetta  Sherwood,  of  Liberty,  N.  Y.,  a graduate 
of  the  Woman’s  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania,  all 
unconscious  of  what  was  going  on  in  Dr.  Hall’s  mind, 
but  eager  to  show  the  New  York  doctor  in  charge  of 
this  medical  mission  that  she  was  professionally  well 
qualified  to  give  him  the  help  Mrs.  Jenkins  spoke  of,  at 
once  handed  him  some  certificates  and  testimonials  to 
the  effect  that  after  graduating  at  Philadelphia  she  had 
served  a successful  internship,  and  that  her  diploma 
had  been  indorsed  by  his  New  York  college,  and  that 
she  was  registered  at  the  county  clerk’s  office.  Dr. 
Hall  carefully  read  these  papers  and  gravely  returned 
them  to  Dr.  Sherwood  ; but  in  after  years  he  frequently 
teased  Mrs.  Hall  because  she  so  highly  recommended 
herself  to  him  when  first  they  met. 

In  downtown  dispensaries  or  in  the  tenement  houses 
of  their  poor  patients  the  two  doctors  frequently  met 
each  other  in  their  work.  Dr.  Hall  found  that  Dr. 
Sherwood  was  a Methodist,  that  she  was  a candidate 
for  foreign  mission  work,  and  that  his  chosen  field, 
China,  was  also  hers,  and  the  more  he  saw  of  her  the 
more  convinced  he  became  that  she  was  the  one  he  had 
been  waiting  for,  and  he  thought  she  must  see  how  he 
felt.  But  Dr.  Hall  was  so  kind  and  loving  to  everybody 
that  Dr.  Sherwood  little  thought  of  anything  personal 
in  his  attentions,  and  even  one  day  in  the  Madison 
Street  Dispensary,  when  he  greeted  her  with,  “ Doctor, 
I believe  the  Lord  sent  you  to  me,”  she  only  interpreted 


BY  PER.  MEDICAL  MISSIONARY  RECORD. 


317 


it  as  meaning  there  was  more  work  than  usual  that  day, 
and  imiuediately  set  about  helping  with  it.  And  when 
upon  Christmas  Day  the  doctor  invited  her  to  go  to 
Central  Park  with  him,  and  on  the’ way  homeward  he 
asked  her  to  be  his  wife  she  was  quite  as  surprised  at 
his  question  as  he  with  her  quick  response,  “ O,  doctor, 
I couldn’t  think  of  such  a thing.”  He  had  been  think- 
ing and  praying  about  it  for  more  than  a month,  and 
felt  so  certain  that  it  was  tlie  Lord’s  leading  that  he 
could  not  understand  this  result.  He  concluded  he 
had  been  too  hasty,  and  he  told  Dr.  Sherwood  he 
would  not  take  “no”  for  her  answer,  that  she  must 
think  and  pray  about  it  as  he  had  done. 

The  doctor  did  not  renew  his  proposal  until  Easter 
time,  and  then  he  met  with  more  favor,  but  with  little 
hope  after  all,  for  Dr.  Sherwood  stated  that  in  the 
meantime  she  had  sent  in  her  ap])lication  to  the  Wom- 
an’s Foreign  Missionary  Society,  had  been  accepted 
and  appointed,  not  to  China,  but  to  Korea,  and  that  she 
• would  not  want  to  marry  for  five  years.  Dr.  Hall  had 
never  believed  in  long  engagements,  but  after  praying 
over  the  matter  and  consulting  his  good  friend, 
Dr.  Stone,  who  had  somewhat  a similar  experience,  he 
decided  to  enter  into  such  an  engagement.  Dr.  Sherwood 
. telling  him,  however,  that  he  must  feel  perfectly  free  to 
change  his  mind  ; as  she  was  going  out  to  the  foreign 
field  anyhow,  if  he  could  take  another  worker  who 
otherwise  would  not  go,  then  that  would  make  three 
new  missionaries  in  the  field  instead  of  two.  The  doc- 
tor afterward  confessed  that  this  idea  had  consider- 
able weight  with  him,  but,  after  all,  he  felt  there  was 
no  other  who  could  take  Dr.  Sherwood’s  place  in  his 
affections. 

Dr.  Sherwood  left  her  home  in  Liberty  August  22, 


3'8 


1890,  for  Korea.  However  much  pain  the  separation 
might  cause  him  Dr.  Hall  rejoiced  that  she  was  doing 
what  she  believed  was  God’s  will.  His  new  affection 
gave  color  to  his  whole  subsecpient  life.  Some  quota- 
tions from  the  doctor’s  letters  to  Dr.  Sherwood  will  best 
show  his  thoughts  and  feelings  at  this  time. 

August  26,  1890,  he  wrote  : “ I believe  our  separation 
from  each  other,  whether  it  be  short  or  long,  will  do  us 
both  good.  Witli  me  it  has  touched  a heartstring 
which  never  vibrated  before.  I have  asked  the  Lord 
to  train  me  for  His  service  at  any  cost.  You  were  never 
more  precious  to  me  than  to-day.  I am  in  most  hearty 
sympathy  with  all  you  have  done,  and  prize  you  all  the 
more  for  being  willing  to  leave  all  and  follow  Jesus. 
The  uppermost  desire  of  my  heart  regarding  you  is  to 
have  you  where  you  can  best  glorify  God.  While  nat- 
urally it  would  have  been  very  hard  to  see  one  I loved 
with  all  my  heart  going  off  to  a strange  land  to  fight 
alone  the  battle  of  life,  still  I realize  you  are  not  alone. 
You  have  One  to  fight  all  your  battles  and  share  all 
your  conflicts.  I can  with  the  utmost  confidence  leave 
you  in  His  almighty  care.” 

September  5.  “ I suppose  you  are  now  upon  the  great 

Pacific.  How  often  I think  of  you  and  bear  you  to 
Him  who  holdeth  the  Avaters  of  the  sea  in  His  hand. 
Although  you  are  being  wafted  farther  and  farther  from 
me  each  successive  day,  still  in  heart  you  are  daily  get- 
ting nearer.  My  love  for  you  is  developing  a part  of 
my  character  which  has  hitherto  remained  dormant, 
and  God  is  developing  my  heart  along  this  line  ; my 
love  for  the  perishing  around  me  is  stronger,  and  my 
love  for  God  is  steadily  increasing. 

“ Dr.  Stone  has  returned,  and  is  into  the  work  with  all 
his  heart  again.  It  is  such  a privilege  to  be  with  Dr. 


319 


and  Mrs.  Stone.  They  are  well,  and  baby  Mary  is  im- 
proving wonderfLilly.  She  is  a very  sweet  child ; we 
all  think  there  is  no  baby  like  INIary.  Old  Asbury  is 
booming,  and  we  are  expecting  a great  work  in  the  city 
this  fall  and  winter.  Two  very  wealthy  Christians  have 
pledged  fifteen  thousand  dollars  each  for  Mr.  Merritt’s 
work.  One  will  rent  a building  on  Park  Row,  to  be 
carried  on  after  the  plan  that  was  adopted  at  Roosevelt 
Street  during  iSIr.  Merritt’s  short  stay  there  ; the  other 
on  Eighth  Avenue.  The  above  sums  will  cover  the 
rent  for  ten  years  for  the  two  buildings.  You  remem- 
ber this  line  of  work  was  suggested  to  Mr.  Merritt  after 
our  visit  to  the  dives,  when  you  thought  if  people  could 
only  get  a glass  of  milk,  instead  of  whisky,  and  their 
night’s  lodging  elsewhere  as  cheaply  as  in  these  dives, 
the  work  would  be  more  promising.  How  wonderfully 
God  opens  up  the  way  ! Mr.  Merritt  told  us  last  Sun- 
day, ‘ When  I want  money  I ask  God  for  it,  I never  go 
to  man.’  May  God  raise  up  more  Merritts  for  the 
world  ! 

“ My  cousin,  W.  J.  Drummond,  left  here  the  Monday 
following  your  departure.  He  goes  under  the  Presby- 
terian Board  to  Nanking,  China.  I have  not  yet  seen 
Dr.  Baldwin — expect  to  have  Dr.  Stone  introduce  me 
to  him  soon.  If  God  wants  me  in  China  He  will 
open  the  way — if  not,  I pray  Him  to  hedge  it.  Any- 
where for  Jesus.” 

September  17.  “I  used  sometimes  to  think  I 
might  never  meet  the  one  I could  love  as  I believed 
those  coming  together  should  love,  but  I was  mistaken. 
When  the  proper  time  came  God  had  you  ready.  Al- 
though born  and  trained  hundreds  of  miles  apart  I be- 
lieve God  was  fitting  us  for  each  other.  How  dearly  I 
love  you,  Rosetta,  with  a love  that  grows  deeper  and 


320 


stronger  each  day,  and  I believe  will  continue  to  in- 
crease through  life  and  great  eternity.  God  must  enter 
into  and  control  all  we  do.  I rejoice  that  He  is  in  the 
contract.” 

In  October,  1890,  Dr  Hall  was  placed  in  full  charge 
of  the  work  at  Madison  Street,  and  not  long  after  de- 
cided it  would  be  best  for  the  work  for  him  to  reside 
there;  so  he  gave  up  his  pleasant  home  with  Dr.  Stone, 
and  made  one  for  himself  and  helpers  at  209  Madison 
Street. 

In  his  letters  to  Dr.  Sherwood  the  doctor  thus 
speaks  of  this  work  : “ Mr.  Merritt  has  handed  Madison 
Street  Mission  entirely  over  to  me.  It  appeared  to  be 
my  duty,  so  I dare  not  shrink.  I have  been  laying 
plans  for  the  work.  We  had  36  at  Sunday  school  our 
first  Sunday,  and  60  last.  I expect  100  before  the  end 
of  November.  We  had  a glorious  meeting  last  night. 
I 'know  the  Lord  has  called  me  to  this  work,  and  it 
must  prosper.  I feel  of  Madison  Street  as  Judson  did 
of  Burmah  ; when  asked  of  its  prospects  he  replied,  ‘As 
bright  as  the  promises  of  God.’  ” 

February  17  the  doctor  writes:  “The  work  at 

Madison  Street  is  moving  along  gloriously.  Since  No- 
vember the  membership  has  almost  doubled.  Twenty- 
one  have  been  received  upon  probation  and  others  by 
letter.  Some  Roman  Catholics  have  been  converted 
and  have  united  with  us.  A Hebrew  has  accepted 
Christ  as  the  Messiah,  and  was  baptized  the  other  Sun- 
day. Our  Sunday  school  is  flourishing.  We  have  a 
boys’  meeting  every  week,  composed  of  the  boys  that 
have  been  converted  in  our  work.  It  would  do  you 
good  to  hear  them  speak  and  pray.  Dear  boys,  how  I 
love  them!  We  also  have  a girls’  meeting  equally  in- 
teresting and  profitable.” 


321 


June  2.  “I  have  a very  large  family  here  now. 
We  sheltered  sixteen  last  night  besides  the  janitor’s  fam- 
ily. I am  glad  we  have  a home  where  I can  welcome 
those  who  need  our  help  and  those  who  are  willing  to 
give  themselves  to  the  work.  There  are  two  doctors 
here  besides  myself ; the  work  is  moving  along  trium- 
phantly, and  souls  are  being  saved  each  week. 

“ I am  thinking  of  putting  in  about  ten  cots  in  the 
basement,  arranging  them  so  they  can  be  turned  up 
against  the  wall  when  not  in  use.  This  would  take  up 
very  little  space  and  not  interfere  with  the  use  of  the 
room  for  meetings,  etc.  I purpose  using  them  for  un- 
employed men  who  are  anxious  to  lead  a Christian  life. 
I will  have  them  do  all  the  cleaning,  washing,  etc.,  in 
connection  with  their  apartment,  and  let  them  give  an 
hour’s  work  for  a cheap  lunch.  In  this  way  we  could 
cull  out  the  insincere.  I have  not  laid  the  matter  be- 
fore the  society  yet,  but  I expect  they  will  grant  my 
request,  as  they  have  never  refused  anything  I have 
asked  yet.  I have  already  tried  it  on  a small  scale,  and 
find  grand  results.  One  man  who  was  with  us  about 
three  months  was  soundly  converted,  and  has  now  a 
good  position,  getting  J50  per  month,  and  is  earnestly 
working  for  Christ.  I believe  many  a brand  can  be 
plucked  from  the  burning  in  this  way.  Many  a man 
has  gotten  down  and  discouraged  that  would  have 
gladly  led  a different  life  if  only  a loving  hand  would  lift 
him  up.” 

Dr.  Hall  labored  under  great  difficulties  for  the 
want  of  means  to  carry  on  the  work.  From  his  own 
scanty  funds  he  contributed  generously  for  that  pur- 
pose. He  lived  upon  the  simplest  fare,  stale  bread  and 
apples  often  constituting  his  chief  diet,  and  was  known 
often  to  go  without  the  ordinary  necessaries  of  life  that 
41 


322 


he  might  contribute  something  to  the  work.  To  the 
remonstrance  of  friends  he  would  reply,  “ It*is  all  for 
the  Lord.”  He  was  not  an  ascetic.  His  greatest  joy 
was  in  the  companionship  of  warm  hearts.  Nor  did 
self-imposed  pain  make  him  self-conscious  of  the  he- 
roic. Sacrifice  but  awakened  in  his  mind  a simple  joy. 

One  day  I found  him  at  a shop  of  a dealer  in  second- 
hand china  ; he  was  buying  cups  with  broken  handles 
and  plates  with  nicked  edges.  In  reply  to  my  question 
he  said,  cheerily,  “ I am  expecting  more  helpers  in  the 
mission,  and  need  a larger  supply  of  dishes.” 

After  a day  of  toil,  however  weary  the  doctor  might 
be,  he  would  make  a round  of  the  whole  circle,  inquiring 
into  the  welfare  of  each  ; nor  would  he  retire  until  all 
were  at  rest,  when  he  would  again  visit  the  cot  of  each 
young  man  and  gently  arrange  the  blanket  or  a pillow 
for  tlie  sleeper’s  comfort. 

Dr.  Hall  believed  in  a strict  Sunday  observance. 
He  felt  that  in  this  matter  the  United  States  was  more 
careless  than  Canada.  He  pointed  to  the  cities  of  Can- 
ada with  pride  for  not  having  street  cars  run  on  Sun- 
day. His  own  conscientious  devotion  to  the  observance 
of  the  Lord’s  Day  is  well  illustrated  by  an  experience  he 
used  to  tell  in  a sermon  upon  consecration.  He  said  : 
One  of  the  hardest  struggles  of  my  life  occurred 
while  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Late  one  Saturday 
afternoon  I received  a telegram  from  a physician  which 
read  as  follows  : ‘ Your  father  is  seriously  ill.  Come 
immediately.’  In  a few  minutes  I was  at  the  depot, 
and  started  on  the  first  train.  At  ten  o’clock  Saturday 
night  I reached  Utica.  I was  then  within  a few  hours’ 
ride  of  my  home,  and  found  that  the  next  train  would 
leave  Sunday  morning  at  six  o’clock,  and  that  there 
would  not  be  another  train  till  the  following  morning  at 


323 


the  same  hour.  What  was  to  be  done?  I had  always 
spoken  against  traveling  on  the  Sabbath,  but  now  the 
testing  time  had  come.  Satan  never  tempted  as  he  did 
that  night.  He  told  me  if  I would  take  that  Sunday 
morning  train  I would  see  my  father  alive  : if  I waited 
until  Monday  I would  be  too  late.  He  accused  me  of 
a lack  of  filial  love  to  think  of  waiting  under  these  cir- 
cumstances. I went  to  my  room,  and  with  my  open 
Bible  before  me  I fought  the  hardest  battle  of  my  life 
on  my  knees.  I sacrificed  my  Isaac  upon  the  altar.  I 
left  my  father  in  the  hands  of  God,  and  the  matter  was 
soon  settled,  and  I promised  to  obey  God  at  any  cost. 
I cannot  express  the  calm  peace  that  filled  my  soul.  On 
Monday  I started  for  home,  and  on  reaching  there 
found  my  father  very  much  better.  He  had  taken 
a change  for  the  better  about  the  same  hour  that  I 
was  pleading  with  God  in  regard  to  my  duty  in 
Utica.  We  have  a wonderful  Saviour.  They  that 
put  their  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  never  be  confounded. 
Obedience  is  better  than  sacrifice.” 

The  life  of  Dr.  Hall  in  New  York  city  is  best 
shown  by  a glance  at  his  surroundings.  Located  right 
in  the  heart  of  the  neglected  portion  of  our  great 
metropolis,  he  lived  and  labored  amid  gigantic  evils; 
amid  discouragements  with  unconquering  faith  he  joy- 
ously toiled  on. 

A great  horde  of  human  beings  are  congregated  be- 
hind these  brick  walls.  Each  member,  in  the  effort  to 
exist,  tramples  his  fellow  lower  until  on  every  side  is 
heard  the  cry  of  despair.  Visit  a street  of  this  section. 
The  street  is  narrow,  and  you  become  bewildered  at  the 
moving  mass  of  people  who  fill  up  the  walks  even  into 
the  gutter,  men  and  women  alike  struggling  and  push- 
ing their  way  through  the  throng  in  the  wild  compe- 


.324 


tition  for  bread.  There  is  no  place  on  earth,  it  is  said, 
where  the  people  are  so  closely  packed  as  in  this  part 
of  the  great  city.  Squalor  reigns  everywhere. 

Through  such  a crowd  Dr.  Hall  makes  his  way,  and 
up  long  flights  of  stairs  through  dark  hallways,  by  rooms 
closely  packed  with  tenants,  and  at  last  he  pauses  at  a 
door  and  enters.  The  room  is  cold  and  damp.  A 
mother  and  six  children  are  the  occupants.  She  wears 
scarcely  clothing  enough  for  a covering.  Two  little 
children  wear  no  clothing  at  all.  A baby  is  lying  in  a 
cradle  wrapped  only  in  a newspaper.  The  weather  is 
bitter  cold,  and  it  has  been  long  since  a fire  burned  in 
the  stove.  On  the  table  is  a small  loaf  of  bread  suffi- 
cient to  feed  a man  at  one  meal,  and  this  must  last  the 
family  for  some  days. 

At  the  offer  of  kindness  the  poor  woman  breaks 
down  and  sobs,  and  from  her  tears  she  says,  “You 
need  not  help  me,  but  please  give  the  children  some- 
thing; I can’t  bear  to  see  them  die.”  Dr.  Hall  devises 
means  for  their  relief,  and,  kneeling  down,  commits 
them  to  the  care  of  Him  who  is  a friend  of  the  poor. 
He  hurries  from  the  grateful  home  on  another  errand 
of  mercy. 

One  day  I entered  the  home  of  a poor  Jew  and  asked 
the  sick  and  poverty-stricken  family  if  the  doctor  had 
called  that  morning.  “Yes,”  was  tlie  reply;  “Dr. 
Hall  has  visited  us  constantly  for  some  time.  He  is  a 
wonderful  man  ; he  treats  us  without  charge  ; he  brings 
us  food  and  then  gets  down  on  his  knees  and  prays  for 
us  all.  Who  is  Dr.  Hall. ^ My  people  have  long  been 
looking  for  the  Messiah,  and  we  have  become  tired 
of  waiting.  Would  the  Messiah  be  more  kind  than 
this  man  ? ” The  earnest  inquiry  of  the  poor  igno- 
rant Jew  is  an  illustration  of  the  reverence  held  for 


h 


325 

Dr.  W.  J.  Hall  by  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact 
in  his  missionary  work  in  the  slums  of  New  York.  He 
was  indefatigable  in  his  devotion  for  the  lost  of  our 
great  metropolis.  He  possessed  a rare  faculty  of  com- 
ing in  contact  with  the  masses.  He  was  ever  evolving 
plans  for  the  final  evangelization  of  our  great  cities — 
plans  that  in  extension  and  practicability  of  character 
were  equaled  only  by  Mr.  Booth,  of  England  ; plans 
unmatured  only  because  of  insufficient  means;  plans 
that,  though  laid  aside,  were,  until  his  death,  cherished 
with  a hope  of  their  realization. 

He  possessed  a mind  that  comprehended  great  things 
and  loved  to  dwell  upon  the  destinies  of  the  race  ; yet 
the  minutia  of  everyday  life  received  his  careful  atten- 
tion. 

He  was  a friend  to  all  classes  and  ages,  a man  in 
whom  the  Church  was  glad  to  trust.  The  rich  found 
him  a faithful  steward  and  wise  counselor,  the  poor 
and  distressed  a loving,  sympathetic  friend. 

But  one  might  ask.  Has  Dr.  Hall  forgotten  his  calling 
to  the  foreign  field  ? Some  quotations  from  his  letters 
will  show.  July  10,  1890,  he  writes:  “We  had  a 

glorious  time  on  Sunday.  Bishop  Thoburn  was  at 
Asbury;  he  preached  on  the  street  in  the  evening,  and 
afterward  inside.  I had  a good  visit  with  him  at  Dr. 
Stone’s.  He  wants  me  for  India,  but  I think  that  is  not 
my  place.  But  the  needs  and  claims  of  the  foreign 
field  are  pressing  upon  me  with  greater  force  than  ever, 
and  the  probability  is  that  I will  start  for  China  in 
about  a year.  I but  recently  returned  from  a few  de- 
lightful days  spent  at  Northfield.  What  a privilege  it 
is  to  come  in  contact  with  such  men  as  we  meet  there ! 
I tented  with  several  of  the  International  Medical  Mis- 
sionary Society  students,  and  we  boarded  ourselves. 


326 


C. Vanderbilt  furnished  our  tickets,  so  our  expenses  were 
very  small.  July  7 I met  Mrs.  ]\Ioody,  D.  L.  Mood>  ’s 
mother;  she  is  eighty-five  years  of  age,  but  enjoying 
good  health.  I think  nature  has  done  more  for  Xorth- 
field  than  any  place  I have  been  in.  Xo  wonder  God 
chose  this  place  for  D.  L.  Moody’s  birthplace.  He  is 
a living  example  of  what  God  can  do  through  a man 
thoroughly  consecrated  to  himself.” 

From  Buffalo,  X.  Y.,  March  3,  1891,  the  doctor 
writes  : “ I am  taking  a few  days’  rest  or  rather  change. 
I arrived  here  last  night  from  Cleveland,  O.,  where  I 
attended  the  greatest  Student  Volunteer  Convention  ever 
yet  held.  There  were  over  six  hundred  delegates.  We 
will  hold  two  meetings  here  to-day  and  two  in  Roches- 
ter to-morrow.  I can’t  tell  you  what  a wonderful  bless- 
ing the  convention  has  been  to  me.  God  is  drawing 
me  closer  and  closer  to  Himself.  Xow  about  China. 
Our  Board  don’t  expect  to  be  able  to  send  out  any 
medical  missionaries  this  year.  I have  an  offer  of 
§1,000  per  year  from  the  Chinese  government  to  go  to 
China  to  treat  some  Europeans  in  the  government  em- 
ploy, with  the  privilege  of  doing  all  the  missionary 
work  I choose.  There  is  no  missionary  in  that  place  at 
all.  In  this  way  I could  get  to  the  field  without  any 
expense  to  the  ^Missionary  Society  and  be  self-support- 
ing. The  engagement  would  be  for  five  years.  The 
Xew  York  City  Church  Extension  and  Missionary 
Society  have  engaged  my  services  another  year,  but 
I told  them  there  was  a possibility  of  my  going  to 
the  foreign  field  next  fall.  I like  the  Society  very 
much.  They  have  done  nobly  by  me.” 

June  3,  1890.  “Shortly  after  my  return  from  Cleve- 
land I received  a letter  from  Dr.  Baldwin,  stating  that 
they  wished  to  see  me  at  the  Secretaries’  rooms.  I went 


3^7 


up,  and  they  asked  me  if  I would  be  willing  to  go  to 
Korea  in  case  they  had  to  send  a man  to  take  Dr. 
Scranton’s  work.  I said  I would.  But  now  they  can’t 
settle  anything  until  Bishop  Goodsell  returns.  But  I 
have  given  up  the  Chinese  government  offer  entirely 
in  view  of  going  to  Korea  under  our  own  Board.’ 
Later  he  wrote  : !‘The  way  to  the  foreign  field  at  pres- 
ent appears  to  be  hedged,  and  God  is  marvelously 
opening  up  my  way  here  and  giving  me  the  hearts  of 
the  people.  Indications  point  strongly  as  though  He 
wanted  me  in  New  York.  He  knows  best,  and  I am 
glad  to  have  Him  choose  for  me.  I don’t  lay  nearly  so 
many  plans  as  I used  to.  I am  just  resting  passive  in 
His  hands.” 

August  27,  1891.  “The  Canadian  Methodist  Board 
have  been  urging  me  very  strongly  for  the  past  two 
weeks  to  go  out  under  them  to  China,  and  went  to 
work  and  raised  the  money  to  send  me,  without  receiv- 
ing any  encouragement  from  me,  as  I hoped  to  go  out 
under  the  Board  here;  but  the  Lord  has  hedged  up  the 
way  here  and  opened  it  wide  there.” 

Naturally  the  doctor  longed  to  receive  his  appoint- 
ment to  Korea,  but  with  him  it  was  not  a question  of 
choice,  but  obedience.  His  prayer  had  been,  “Lord, 
open  the  way,  and  I shall  follow  ; ” and  he  prepared  to 
leave,  actually  shipping  his  goods  with  the  Canadian 
party.  It  was  a test.  God’s  faithful  servant  proved 
true,  and  suddenly  is  rewarded  by  receiving  the  desire 
of  his  heart.  Friends  finding  out  his  relation  to  Korea, 
and  desiring  to  retain  his  valuable  services  in  the 
Church  in  which  he  was  laboring,  placed  the  matter 
before  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Missionary  Society  in 
such  a way  that  he  was  immediately  accepted  and  ap- 
pointed to  Korea. 


328 


September  19,  1891,  the  doctor  writes  to  Dr.  Sherwood 
(upon  her  birthday)  : “Well,  Rosetta,  I have  just  been 
appointed  to  Korea  ! Yesterday  I received  my  release 
from  the  Canadian  Board,  providing  I was  appointed 
by  our  Board  to  Korea.  I rejoice  that  the  Lord  has 
opened  the  way.  He  knew  I would  gladly  go  any- 
where for  Him,  and  I feel  so  grateful  that  we  are  soon 
to  be  together.  I never  felt  His  presence  and  power 
more  than  now.  I will  now  take  some  post-graduate 
work.  I am  rooming  at  118  East  45th  Street,  with 
Dr.  Scranton.  I have  also  met  his  mother,  and  I 
like  both  very  much.  They  speak  highly  of  you. 
Dr.  Baldwin  tells  me  he  wants  me  to  leave  Vancouver 
November  22.  I go  that  way,  that  I may  visit  my  dear  old 
home.  Miss  Lewis  will  go  out  this  fall  to  help  you.  I 
wish  we  could  sail  together,  but  I suppose  her  Board 
might  not  be  willing  to  let  her  go  via  Canada.  I expect 
Mrs.  Skidmore  would  much  rather  I was  not  going  to 
Korea.  I am  urged  on  every  side  to  remain  here,  but 
I feel  God  has  a work  for  me  in  heathen  lands.  This 
has  been  a wonderful  experience.  I praise  Him  for  the 
many  valuable  lessons  He  has  taught  me  while  here,  and 
for  the  precious  souls  and  warm  friends  He  has  given 
me.  It  is  all  of  Him,  to  God  be  all  the  glory.  How 
often  as  I see  His  power  and  love  manifested  I am  led 
to  exclaim:  ‘What  a wonderful  Saviour!  What  rich 
blessings  He  has  in  store  for  us  if  we  live  close  to  Him  1 ' 
May  God  glorify  Himself  through  us  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent possible,  is  my  most  earnest  prayer.” 

The  following  testimonial  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  James 
A.  Seaman  shows  how  Dr.  Hall  was  regarded  by 
the  Society  under  whose  employ  he  had  so  happily 
served  : 


329 


“New  York,  September  14,  1891. 

“ Dr.  W.  J.  Hall  : Dear  Brother,  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  New  York  Church  Extension  and  Mis 
sionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at 
its  meeting  on  the  4th  instant  expressed  a wish  that  I 
should  write  you  as  recording  secretary  and  convey  the 
assurance  that  the  Board  of  Managers  fully  appreciate 
your  valuable  services  rendered  in  the  mission  work  of 
the  Society  ; and  the  Board  at  its  meeting  on  the  nth 
instant,  concurring  most  heartily  in  this  wish,  voted  your 
retirement  from  active  work  in  the  Society  with  great 
regret  for  the  loss  of  such  services  and  recognition  of 
their  unquestioned  value;  and  they  recommend  you  to 
the  General  Missionary  Board  for  work  in  the  foreign 
field,  trusting  that  by  such  recommendation  they  may 
aid  in  securing  for  the  cause  of  Christ  and  His  Church 
the  invaluable  aid  of  your  wide  experience,  great  ability, 
and  rare  enthusiasm  and  devotion. 

“ Permit  me  to  add  that  among  the  many  members 
of  the  Society  whose  admiration  and  personal  attach- 
ment you  have  won,  and  in  whose  hearts  you  will  al- 
ways hold  a warm  place,  is 

“ Yours  most  fraternally, 

“ James  A.  Seaman.” 

The  attainment  of  two  things  was  of  especial  value 
to  Dr.  Hall — a personal  consciousness  of  the  presence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  a familiarity  with  hardships, 
the  vicissitudes  of  which  never  took  him  by  surprise. 
The  enthusiasm  of  his  life  was  born  of  his  responsibility 
to  man  and  God.  Like  the  apostle,  he  felt  he  was 
“ debtor  both  to  the  Greek  and  to  the  Barbarians  ; ” that 
all  men,  because  of  the  glorious  gift  which  he  had  re- 
ceived, had  a right  to  his  service,  and  he  labored  with 
42 


330 


all  the  intensity  of  a sanctified  life,  that  he  might  save 
some. 

The  doctor  was  very  seasick  upon  his  voyage  to 
Korea — so  sick  that  he  felt  if  he  ever  reached  his  des- 
tination he  would  not  want  to  return.  But  seasickness 
is  always  strangely  soon  forgotten,  and  the  doctor  lived 
to  look  forward  to  his  return  to  the  homeland  some 
day  via  Europe,  that  he  might  fulfill  his  lifelong  desire 
of  visiting  Palestine.  But  God  had  prepared  even  a 
better  vision  than  the  Holy  Land  for  His  servant’s  eyes 
when  he  should  leave  Korea. 

As  it  may  be  easily  understood,  the  doctor’s  great 
heart  was  indeed  rejoiced  to  meet  her  who  had  preceded 
him  to  the  foreign  field  by  more  than  a year.  Dr.  Sher- 
wood always  considered  that  the  greatest  thing  she  could 
have  done  for  mission  work  in  Korea  was  being  instru- 
mental in  bringing  Dr.  Hall  to  that  field.  That  they 
should  so  soon  meet  again  in  the  Lord’s  work  was  in- 
deed a privilege  unexpected  by  both  when  they  parted. 
As  the  doctor  himself  exclaimed,  “ I do  praise  God  with 
all  my  heart.  Life  to  me  thus  far  has  been  a continued 
surprise,  getting  better  and  brighter  every  day,  and  I 
expect  now  it  will  to  the  end.”  Even  so,  dear  doctor, 
“ The  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that  shineth 
more  and  more  unto  the  jDerfect  day.” 

Although  when  it  looked  as  if  the  doctor  was  going 
to  settle  in  China  Dr.  Sherwood  had  refused  to  leave 
her  Korean  work  before  the  appointed  time  to  help 
make  that  “ideal  home,”  now  that  she  would  not  have 
to  leave  that  work  at  all  there  was  no  good  reason  for 
deferring  it  longer,  and  it  was  soon  settled  that  they 
would  be  married  in  about  six  months’  time. 

So  upon  one  of  those  perfect  days,  June  27,  1892,  the 
Rev.  William  James  Hall,  M.D.,  of  Glen  Buell,  Ont., 


331 


was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rosetta  Sherwood,  M.D., 
of  Liberty,  N.  Y.  The  ceremony  was  performed  by  the 
Rev.  F.  Ohlinger,  assisted  by  Rev.  D.  Bunker,  and  in 
the  presence  of  Her  British  Majesty’s  Consul  Hon. 
W.  C.  Hillier,  United  States  Deputy  Consul  General, 
Dr.  H.  N.  Allen,  and  some  thirty  invited  guests,  at  the 
pleasant  home  of  the  Woman’s  Foreign  ^Missionary  So- 
ciety, graciously  presided  over  by  Mrs.  M.  F.  Scranton. 

Rev.  Appenzeller,  who  was  upon  his  way  to  America 
with  his  family,  voiced  the  feelings  of  all  present  in  his 
congratulations:  “I  believe  Jesus  was  present  at  the 
‘marriage’  in  Soul,  Korea,  because  ‘botli  Jesus  was 
called,  and  his  disciples,  to  the  marriage.’  ]\Iay  God  bless 
you  richly  in  all  things,  botli  temporal  and  spiritual,  is 
the  wish  and  prayer  of  your  friends  the  Appenzellers, 
Oriental  Hotel,  Kobe,  Japan,  June  27,  1892.” 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  went  to -China  for  a wedding  trip, 
where  they  spent  a month’s  vacation  at  Chefoo.  Here 
they  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  a great  many  mission- 
aries to  China — Dr.  Randall  and  family  at  Tong  Shin, 
whom  Dr.  Hall  knew  in  the  old  days  of  the  International 
Medical  Missionary  Society  in  New  York  ; Rev.  and 
Mrs.  Goforth  and  Miss  McIntosh,  of  Honan  Province  ; 
Rev.  and  Mrs!  McKee  and  family  from  Ning-Po  ; Mrs. 
Scofield,  widow  of  the  lamented  Dr.  Scofield  ; and  Miss 
Roberts,  sister  of  Dr.  Roberts,  who  was  then  filling  the 
late  Dr.  McKenzie’s  place  in  Tientsin  ; Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stook,  of  the  China  Inland  Mission  Sanitorium,  and  a 
number  of  China  Inland  Mission  workers  resting  there  ; 
Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  Corbett  and  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
George  Hays,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  Chefoo. 
Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Nevins  were  on  the  way,  but  had  not 
yet  arrived  from  their  American  trip. 

Quite  a party  from  Korea  also  spent  their  vacation  at 


A CHRISTIAN  CHINESE  MAN  AND  HIS  MHFE. 


333 


Chefoo  this  summer:  Mrs.  Greathouse,  mother  of  the 
American  Adviser  to  the  King  of  Korea  ; Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Vinton,  the  Drs.  Brown,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Gifford. 

-It  is  related  of  Dr.  Hall  that, ever  desirous  of  making 
the  most  use  of  his  time,  he  took  with  him  on  this  trip 
a number  of  volumes  in  his  course  of  Conference  study, 
such  as  the  Life  of  Wesley  and  the  History  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Churchy  but  he  never  could  be  gotten  to 
tell  how  many  of  them  he  read  ! 

Upon  returning  to  Soul  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  began 
housekeeping  at  the  home  of  Rev.  Appenzeller,  who 
with  his  family  were  upon  their  well-earned  furlough  in 
America.  Though  frugal,  their  home  was  always  hos- 
pitable. Dr.  Hall  never  seemed  so  happy  as  when  he 
could  have  guests  at  his  table,  especially  the  bachelors 
of  the  various  missions,  or  strangers  in  town.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Chain,  of  Colorado,  U.  S.,  were  the  first  guests 
in  the  new  home.  They  were  traveling  around  the 
world,  and  being  ea'rnest  Christians  they  took  especial 
interest  in  missions,  and  it  brought  pain  to  many  hearts 
when  the  sad  news  came  that  upon  October  13  they  went 
down  in  the  Bokhara^  overtaken  in  a typhoon  off  the 
coast  of  China.  But,  as  Dr.  Hall  remarked  to  Mrs.  Hall, 
“ It  was  nice  that  this  dear  husband  and  wife  could  to- 
gether enter  glory  and  be  forever  with  the  Lord.”  They 
were  reminded  of  the  incident  spoken  of  in  F.  R. 
Havergal’s  memorials,  where  a missionary,  his  wife,  and 
six  children  had  thus  gone  home  to  heaven  : 

“It  was  a day  of  death. 

But  not  of  tears  ; 

A day  of  wondrous  change, 

But  not  of  hopes  and  fears. 

No  parting  look  was  given, 

No  farewell  word  was  spoken. 

As  the  link  that  kept  those  souls  from  heaven 
By  a single  touch  was  broken. 


334 


“ No  lieartache  and  no  pain, 

No  weary  breath,  no  sighing. 

No  speechless  look  of  love. 

No  deathwatch,  and  no  dying  ; 

No  eyes  were  softly  closed. 

No  hands  were  gently  folded, 

No  living  face  hung  in  anguish  wild 
O’er  the  statue  death  had  molded. 

“ It  was  a day  of  life — 

A day  of  wondrous  bliss; 

What  entrance  through  the  gates  of  pearl 
Could  ever  equal  this  ! 

How  rapturous  then  the  greeting. 

What  look  of  love  outspoken 
As  the  union  of  those  souls  in  heaven 
Was  sealed,  ne’er  to  be  broken  ! ” 

— M.  Cox,  1867. 

At  the  Annual  Meeting  which  occurred  soon  after  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Hall’s  return,  the  summer  of  1892,  according  to 
the  appointments  read  by  Bishop  Mallalieu,  Mrs.  Hall  was 
to  continue  physician  in  charge  of  the  Woman’s  Hospital 
at  Soul,  and  Dr.  Hall  was  to  do  pioneer  work  on  the 
Pyong  Yang  Circuit,  180  miles  away  ! Thus,  so  soon 
were  they  again  separated;  it  was  a sacrifice  for  the 
Master’s  work  and  borne  bravely  by  both  for  His  sake. 
In  the  words  of  the  doctor  to  his  wife:  “ I am  glad,  after 
all,  my  precious  one,  that  God  permits  us  to  do  hard 
things  for  Him.  It  is  a special  mark  of  His  favor. 
Let  us  not  worry,  but  get  all  the  blessing  from  this  trial 
that  it  is  His  will  to  bestow.  God  is  training  us  and 
getting  us  ready  for  lives  of  greater  usefulness,  and  it 
is  all  right.” 

It  was  largely  due  to  Dr.  Hall’s  influence  that  I and 
Mrs.  Noble  were  appointed  to  Korea.  We  reached 
Soul  October  18,  1892,  and  were  kindly  welcomed  to 
their  home  by  Mrs.  Hall,  the  doctor  being  absent  at 
Pyong  Yang;  but  he  had  thoughtfully  left  us  a letter  of 
warm  greeting.  Later  we  were  privileged  to  have  his 


335 


cheering  presence  with  us  for  a short  time,  and  it  was 
decided  it  would  be  best  for  us  all  to  live  together  on 
account  of  the  little  available  parsonage  accommodation 
in  Korea,  and  that  we  might  aid  tlie  doctor  in  his  scheme 
of  paying  the  passage  out  and  boarding  another  medical 
missionary  that  year. 

Learning  about  the  time  of  the  doctor’s  return  from 
his  next  trip  I went  out  a day’s  journey  to  meet  him. 
His  face  was  radiant  with  gladness — he  had  been  espe- 
cially successful  in  the  treating  of  patients,  the  selling 
of  books,  and  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel.  At  last 
he  felt  he  had  a firm  foothold  in  Pyong  Yang.  The 
doctor  could  not  wait  to  tell  the  joy  of  his  heart,  but  led 
me  out  upon  a mountain  top,  and  there,  amid  the  wild 
mountain  scenery  and  the  silence  and  grandeur  around, 
he  rehearsed  the  particulars  of  his  late  journey,  and, 
kneeling  down,  his  face  bathed  in  tears,  he  poured  out 
his  heart  to  God.  He  said,  “ I know  it  is  an  opening  of 
the  Lord.”  Little  did  he  know  the  stormy  path  through 
which  it  would  lead,  or  that  the  very  facts  over  which 
he  now  rejoiced  were  indicative  of  the  early  crown  that 
he  would  wear. 

Upon  Dr.  Hall’s  next  trip  into  the  interior  it  was  my 
privilege  to  accompany  him.  The  discomforts  of  travel- 
ing in  Korea  are  multitudinous.  There  are  peculiar 
trials  that  tend  to  bring  out  any  sterling  worth  the  mis- 
sionary may  possess. 

It  was  an  inspiration  to  see  Dr.  Hall  face  these  diffi- 
culties, even  as  joyously  as  if  he  had  been  traveling  by 
the  most  luxurious  railway  coach.  On  leaving  an  inn 
one  morning  during  our  journey  the  coolies,  as  was  their 
daily  custom,  began  a general  quarrel,  each  declaring 
that  he  had  more  than  his  share  of  the  baggage  to  carry. 
At  last  they  said  they  would  not  go  another  step.  The 


336 


doctor  looked  ruefully  around  upon  his  scattered  bag- 
gage and  upon  the  boisterous  coolies  and,  without  re- 
plying, sat  down  and,  taking  a paper  from  his  pocket,  he 
commenced  to  read.  Such  diplomacy  on  his  part  had 
the  effect  that  entreaty  or  storming  would  not  have  had. 
They  hastily  placed  the  baggage  on  their  ponies,  and 
were  soon  on  their  way.  The  doctor  himself,  seated  on 
a pack  astride  of  the  strongest  pony,  would  entertain 
with  the  brightest  Gospel  stories  the  cooly  who  trudged 
at  his  side.  One  who  afterward  became  a most  faith- 
ful Christian  follower  was  won  to  Christ  by  these  talks 
from  the  saddle.  To  the  Korean  mind  the  spirits 
around  him  have  a great  deal  to  do  with  his  destiny. 
Every  green  tree,  every  bubbling  stream,  every  green 
mound,  the  roof  of  his  house,  the  walls,  and  the  floor 
beneath  are  peopled  with  unseen  beings,  all  to  harass 
and  none  to  cheer  his  weary  life.  On  our  journey  at 
certain  points  we  would  pass  small  trees  devoted  to  the 
spirit  worship.  At  the  foot  of  such  a tree  would  be  a 
pile  of  stones  formed  by  the  contribution  of  each  passer- 
by ; on  the  limbs  were  tied  strips  of  paper  and  rags. 
The  doctor  would  watch  his  coolies  bow  low  to  these 
places  of  worship,  and  at  a convenient  opportunity  would, 
by  question  and  suggestion,  lead  them  to  an  acknowl- 
edgement that  such  worship  brought  them  no  satisfac- 
tion, and  then  he  would  offer  Christ.  Frequently  after 
traveling  together  a few  weeks  his  whole  party  would 
cease  doing  homage  to  the  spirits  at  the  wayside.  We 
find  him  at  an  inn  resting  on  the  Sabbath  and  preach- 
ing to  the  people  who  gather  to  hear  him.  Books  are 
offered  to  those  who  will  read,  and  the  whole  Sabbath 
day  is  devoted  to  preaching,  prayer,  and  song.  “ By  this 
means,”  he  would  say,  “we  are  packing  the  dynamite  of 
the  Gospel  away  among  the  towns  and  in  the  homes  of 


337 


this  people,  and  soon  the  spark  will  come  from  God’s 
altar  that  shall  lift  the  clouds  of  sin  and  heathenism.” 

In  his  dispensary  at  Pyong  Yang  it  was  much  the 
same.  Seated  on  the  floor  like  the  Korean  himself,  the 
doctor  would  meet  the  people  who  thronged  to  see  him, 
some  coming  from  curiosity,  others  to  be  treated  by  the 
foreign  doctor.  He  would  say,  “ My  greatest  delight 
is  to  sit  with  my  patients,”  and  none  came  under  his 
care  that  did  not  leave  not  only  with  the  Gospel  mes- 
sage to  ponder  over,  but  with  the  impress  that  they  had 
been  in  the  presence  of  a great  and  good  man.  Dr. 
Hall  used  often  to  exclaim,  “It  is  glorious  to  live  in 
these  times  and  really  be  able  to  do  something  for 
Jesus.” 

At  one  time  the  people  of  Pyong  Yang  were  aroused 
through  the  influence  of  an  official  with  resentment 
against  the  foreigner.  While  sitting  at  an  inn  uncertain 
what  would  be  the  outcome  of  their  animosity  Dr.  Hall 
was  asked  how  he  felt  over  the  prospects.  He  replied, 
“ If  it  is  God’s  will  to  open  up  this  city  by  the  sacrifice 
of  one  life  I am  not  unwilling  to  be  that  one.”  Com- 
mencing his  work  in  Korea  he  took  up  the  keynote 
with  which  Luther  at  one  time  had  shaken  all  Europe, 
proclaiming,  “Justification  by  faith.”  The  crowds  at 
his  hospital  and  dispensaries  heard  the  vigorous  call 
to  repentance  and  the  promise  of  life.  He  held  a clear 
conception  of  the  divine  law,  and  when  the  questions 
of  heathen  indulgences  were  jiresented  he  spoke  with 
no  uncertain  sound,  permitting  no  compromise.  One 
law  he  knew,  holiness  to  God  and  love  to  man,  yet 
none  held  a tenderer  feeling  for  the  weak  and  erring  or 
pity  for  the  viciously  wrong. 

Dr.  Hall  never  lost  sight  of  his  commission,  but  ever 
proclaimed  the  Gospel.  A prayer  went  with  every 
43 


338 


bottle  of  medicine,  and  if  the  suffering  patient  at  last 
dipped  his  feet  in  the  cold  stream  of  death  it  was  the 
doctor  who  lingered  by  to  repeat  the  story  of  Christ’s 
love.  He  was  fond  of  reading  from  the  Gospel  and 
preaching  the  truths  of  Christ’s  death  and  resurrection. 
Nothing  else,  he  would  say,  wins  men’s  hearts  as  the 
story  of  the  cross.  If  you  tell  the  Koreans  of  the 
Western  civilization,  they  marvel  but  little.  If  you  tell 
them  of  the  miracles  of  the  Old  Testament  history,  they 
will  have  something  greater  to  tell.  If  you  tell  them  of 
the  great  age  of  Methuselah,  they  will  tell  you  of  a man 
who  lived  two  thousand  years.  Tell  them  of  the  waters 
of  Egypt  that  were  turned  into  blood,  they  will  tell  you 
that  the  river  of  Pyong  Yang,  at  a certain  period,  for 
three  days  ran  blood.  Tell  them  of  the  manna  that 
fed  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness,  and  they  will  tell 
you  of  a clan  that  lived  on  the  mountain  tops  fed  with 
the  dews  of  heaven  ; but  tell  them  of  the  death  and 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  they  are  silent;  re- 
peat the  story,  and  the  great  deep  of  the  heart  is  moved, 
and  they  cry  out,  “ Men  and  brethren,  what  must  we 
do?” 

One  secret  of  Dr.  Hall’s  great  success  was  the  fact 
that  he  made  his  sermons  exceedingly  personal.  Noth- 
ing was  more  interesting  than  to  watch  a service  under 
the  doctor’s  care.  The  little  sliding  doors  of  his  room 
would  be  pushed  back  so  that  outsiders  could  see  and 
hear.  He  would  be  seated  on  the  floor  and  begin  by 
singing  a hymn.  Eager  faces  would  soon  be  at  the 
door,  some  of  the  bolder  would  venture  in  ; at  the  close 
of  the  hymn  the  room  would  be  filled,  and  in  a short 
time  the  windows  and  doors  would  be  crowded  with 
quiet  listeners.  At  the  close  of  his  simple  Gospel  ser- 
mon, he  would  ask  each  individual  if  he  would  become 


339 


a follower  of  Christ.  As  he  pointed  out  each  face  they 
were  compelled  to  say  yes  or  no.  Many  were  the  glad 
responses,  and  although  many  rejected  the  offer  of 
Christ,  yet  all  were  convinced  that  Dr.  Hall  was  their 
friend.  The  children,  though  as  a rule  shy  of  the 
foreigner,  would  cling  to  him  and  express  their  affec- 
tion with  childlike  caresses. 

It  was  a great  delight  to  have  Dr.  Hall  back  in  his 
home  after  those  trying  journeys  into  the  interior.  The 
word  “ home,”  so  sweet  to  the  American  mind,  bore  a 
double  wealth  of  meaning  to  him.  It  was  his  one  re- 
treat of  sunshine  from  the  storms  of  pioneer  missionary 
life.  The  few  days  he  would  spend  at  Soul  in  recruit- 
ing at  the  close  of  each  trip  from  the  interior  would 
be  in  close  application  to  the  study  of  the  language, 
looking  after  repairs  upon  mission  buildings  and  fre- 
quently, also,  the  care  of  the  hospital  fell  upon  him. 
Yet  he  ever  had  time  to  give  a helping  hand  to  anyone 
in  need  and  a word  of  cheer  to  those  about  him.  His 
spirit  of  Christian  devotion  was  most  prominent  in  his 
home.  Christian  perfection  was  a theme  on  which  he 
prepared  nearly  all  his  sermons.  They  were  written 
with  a devotion  without  cant,  and  a vigor  without  os- 
tentation. That  which  he  preached  he  lived,  and  to 
live  in  his  presence  was  to  know  more  of  the  Saviour 
he  loved.  He  possessed  a meekness  that  was  supplica- 
tory and  a firmness  that  was  intensely  aggressive. 

One  time  when  in  Soul,  upon  a walk  with  Mrs.  Hall, 
the  doctor  came  across  two  little  homeless  waifs  that 
had  been  sleeping  on  the  street  all  through  the  cold 
month  of  January,  with  only  some  old  rags  and  straw 
matting  to  protect  them.  'Fhey  were  frost-bitten,  cov- 
ered with  vermin,  and  nearly  dead  with  suffering.  Dr. 
Hall  took  them  to  the  hospital,  gave  them  nourishing 


DR.  HALL  AND  THE  KOREAN  WAIFS. 


341 


food  and  proper  treatment,  bought  material  and  had 
one  of  Mrs.  Hall’s  convalescent  patients  make  them 
each  a new  suit;  then,  burning  their  old  rags,  he  with 
his  own  hands  gave  them  a good  bathing,  cut  their 
hair,  and  arrayed  them  neatly  in  their  new  clothes. 
Wlien  all  was  done  I remember  with  what  pleasure  the 
doctor  took  Mrs.  Hall,  Mrs.  Noble,  and  myself  to  wit- 
ness the  transformation.  Mrs.  Hall  remarked  that  he 
had  spoiled  their  best  pair  of  shears  cutting  their  hair, 
but  tliat  was  of  little  moment  to  him,  so  long  as  he 
hoped  that  this  cleansing  of  the  outside  was  the  sign  of 
the  moral  regeneration  to  follow.  When  they  became 
strong  and  well  the  doctor  secured  them  work  and 
schooling  in  the  mission  ; but  when  spring  came  one  of 
the  boys,  seemingly  preferring  the  old  life  to  the  new 
one  of  work  and  study,  ran  away.  However,  as  the 
doctor  said,  we  might  be  glad  if  fifty  per  cent  of  those 
we  endeavor  to  help  are  benefited. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  one  of  his  home  visits  the  doc- 
tor’s great  heart  was  overjoyed  with  the  birth  of  a son. 
This  little  fellow  came  November  lo,  1893,  the  eighty- 
ninth  anniversary  of  his  Grandfather  Sherwood’s  birth- 
day, and  he  received  the  name  of  Sherwood  Hall. 
AVhen  little  Sherwood  was  three  weeks  old  his  father 
was  again  off  faithfully  attending  to  his  chosen  work  in 
Pyong  Yang.  Later,  taking  his  first  opportunity  of  try- 
ing the  trip  by  water,  he  took  a small  steamer  that  the 
Japanese  had  begun  to  run  to  Pyong  Yang  from 
Chemulpo,  and  came  home  in  less  than  half  the  time  it 
takes  to  make  the  overland  trip.  He  was  with  us  but 
ten  days,  and  then  was  gone  upon  his  next  trip  nearly 
ten  weeks. 

A truly  great  man  is  always  the  most  natural  and 
simple.  It  is  with  satisfaction  that  we  watch  a public 


342 


man  return  to  the  home  life,  to  the  noble  principles  of 
affection  found  in  the  child.  It  is,  after  all,  the  inner 
life  that  influences  the  world. 

To  express  the  real  character  of  Dr.  Hall  reference 
to  his  private  letters  could  ill  be  spared  here.  Writing 
from  the  interior  he  gives  expression  to  the  great  love 
he  had  for  his  home  and  the  dear  ones  there.  In  a 
letter  to  his  wife  he  says  : “ Our  home  is  so  happy ; the 
only  bitterness  we  have  is  our  separation  from  each 
other;  but  it  is  for  Jesus,  and  it  is  all  right.  Don’t 
worry  about  anything,  my  darling ; how  I would  like  to 
bear  the  burdens  for  you,  but  our  dearest  friends  come 
far  short  of  being  able  to  give  us  the  needed  comfort 
and  help,  but  Jesus  can,  and,  praise  the  Lord,  He  does. 
Let  us  cheerfully  do  hard  things  for  Him.” 

March  i6  he  writes  : “ How  my  heart  goes  out  in 
love  to  you,  my  darling  wife,  and  little  Sherwood,  dear 
little  boy  ; he  is  very  closely  entwined  around  our  hearts. 
I hope  God  may  spare  him  to  grow  up  a good  man,  a 
comfort  and  a joy  to  us,  and  a blessing  to  the  world. 
Your  precious  letter  reached  me  last  Tuesday,  and 
although  it  was  as  long  as  I could  expect,  yet  while  I 
was  reading  it  I was  dreading  that  each  page  would  be 
the  last.  You  know  how  I long  to  be  with  you  ; my 
whole  being  yearns  for  you,  and  I have  had  to  seek 
special  grace  from  the  Master.  He  has  given  me  a 
heart  to  love,  and  He  comes  in  and  fills  it.” 

March  28.  “ It  costs  me  a great  struggle  to  leave 

you  so  long,  my  precious  ones ; but  I believe  this  trip 
will  prove  a blessing  to  each.  It  has  taught  me  more 
fully  to  give  up  to  God  the  dear  ones  that  I love  with 
all  my  heart.  Trials  do  me  good.  I need  them.  But 
I thank  God  He  lifts  me  above  them  and  enables  me 
to  rejoice  continually  in  Him.” 


343 


This  is  how  it  was  that  during  these  times  of  hard- 
ships and  even  danger  the  closest  observer  would  not 
have  imagined  that  often  beneath  the  cheerful  happy 
exterior  was  a suffering  homesick  heart. 

But  those  were  happy  days  that  he  spent  among  us 
at  home.  The  memory  of  them  fills  us  with  the  old- 
time  tenderness  with  which  we  used  to  gaze  upon 
his  face.  Like  a scene  of  childhood  which  in  after 
years  unbidden  breaks  in  upon  the  busy  hours  with  a 
yearning  tug  at  the  heartstrings,  so  his  memory  follows 
us  through  the  busy  days  and  the  long  nights.  No 
voice  returns  to  us,  nor  his  familiar  footfall,  but  we 
know  that  somewhere  in  God’s  great  universe  he  waits 
our  coming. 

-The  labors  of  Dr.  Hall,  which  were  of  such  tragic 
interest,  centered  at  Pyong  Yang,  “ The  City  of  the 
Beautiful  Turf.”  The  city  is  located  a little  north  and 
west  of  the  central  part  of  the  kingdom.  The  natural 
basin  in  which  the  city  is  situated  is  boat-shaped,  and 
the  natives  are  superstitious  in  regard  to  its  form. 
They  think  some  genii  of  past  ages  prepared  this  for 
the  present  great  city,  and  they  fear  to  perforate  the 
bottom  in  the  digging  of  wells,  believing  that  water 
would  rush  in  and  drown  all  the  inhabitants.  Beyond 
the  prow  of  the  boat  is  a high  mountain  from  which 
a view  can  be  had  of  the  country  for  many  miles  in  all 
directions  ; a view  fascinating  in  beauty.  At  this 
point  may  be  seen  Ke-ja’s  grave,  the  first  King  of  Ko- 
rea. On  this  mountain  side  for  three  thousand  years 
the  patriarch  has  rested  undisturbed  with  the  rise  and 
fall  of  succeeding  dynasties.  Toward  this  well-tended 
mound  ten  millions  of  people  turn  their  eyes  in  wor- 
shipful reverence. 

Around  the  city  is  built  a massive  stone  wall  run- 


344 


ning  up  the  mountain  ridge  and  culminating  at  its 
farthermost  peak.  The  people  numbered  about  one 
, hundred  thousand.  Like  the  great  mass  of  all  Korea, 
j the  common  people  live  in  houses  of  mud  walls  and 
I straw  roofs.  The  life  of  the  common  people  is  repre- 

I sentative  of  the  nation,  and  emphatically  so  of  those 

I whom  the  missionary  is  called  to  serve.  A view  of  one 
/ such  home  would  introduce  one  into  the  Korean  life 

' and  also  transport  him  back  to  conditions  that  existed 

i a thousand  years  ago. 

The  story  of  the  persecution  at  Pyong  Yang  is  else- 
where told.  The  doctor’s  brave  wife  shared  all  the 
dangers  during  those  dark  days.  He  afterward  said, 
“ She  was  my  strength.”  Pyong  Yang  is  a hundred  and 
eighty  miles  from  the  capital,  where  the  larger  body  of 
missionaries  were  located.  During  the  persecution  it 
was  with  the  greatest  anxiety  that  we  waited  for  news 
from  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  in  that  city.  News  came  by 
telegraph  that  their  servants  and  Christians  were  in 
stocks  in  prison,  and  were  being  beaten,  and  that  their 
own  lives  were  threatened.  The  American  minister 
and  the  British  consul  took  rapid  means  toward  se- 
curing the  release  of  the  prisoners  and  the  safety  of  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Hall.  Yet  the  government  moved  slow. 
The  waiting  was  painful.  After  repeated  orders  from 
the  foreign  office  at  Soul  to  release  the  prisoners  the 
following  telegram  was  received  from  Dr.  Hall  : “Pris- 
oners unreleased — You  Sanie  beaten  in  my  presence — 
No  protection  given  self.  Servant  from  governor  claims 
that  telegram  received  says,  ‘ Kill  all  Christians  ’ — House 
stoned — Great  excitement.”  Later  followed  another 
telegram.  It  read  : “ Report  confirmed  at  prison  that 
governor  ordered  all  Christians  killed — No  protection 
given  self — Water  coolies  forbidden  to  give  us  water.” 


Telegrams  were  again  sent  from  Soul  ordering  the  re- 
lease of  the  prisoners.  In  reply  word  from  Dr.  Hall 
was  again  wired  to  Soul  : “ Servants  all  in  stocks  in 
death  cell,  badly  beaten — Governor  says  he  does  not 
understand  telegrams — Says  we  are  Tong  Hoks — Will 
appeal  to  the  queen.” 

For  once  in  the  history  of  the  Korea  Mission  all 
work  was  laid  aside  in  the  capital,  and  the  missionaries 
of  all  denominations  gathered  for  prayer.  Each  one 
seemed  to  feel  that  the  crisis  was  of  the  deepest  per- 
sonal concern.  Many  were  the  prayers  that  went  up  in 
behalf  of  the  two  so  well  loved  by  all.  It  is  a signifi- 
cant fact  that  at  that  hour,  while  the  company  was 
gathered  in  prayer.  Dr.  Hall  wired  these  words,  “All 
released.  Chang  Sikey  badly  injured.” 

It  was  with  deep,  solemn  gratitude  that  the  mission- 
aries returned  to  their  work,  realizing  that  the  epoch 
had  changed  and  that  the  faithfulness  of  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Hall  had  ushered  in  a ne.w  era.  Never  again  could 
such  opposition  occur  at  these  strategic  points.  The 
long-struggled-for  opening  was  at  last  secured. 

On  their  return  to  Soul  the  doctor  lightly  treated  the 
dangers  through  which  they  had  passed,  but  was  con- 
stant in  his  praises  of  the  native  Christians.  Their 
courage  and  constancy,  he  would  say,  were  unexcelled 
by  the  martyrs  in  the  early  days  of  Europe. 

At  the  close  of  the  battle  between  the  Chinese  and 
Japanese  in  Pyong  Yang  Dr.  Hall  hastened  back  to  look 
after  the  young  church  there.  The  Chinese  dead,  with 
their  horses  and  cattle,  were  left  unburied  in  great  heaps 
around  the  city  walls.  He  labored  among  the  sick  and 
wounded  until  he  himself  was  taken  sick,  when  he  re- 
turned again  to  Soul.  The  words  of  Mrs.  Hall  in  a let- 
ter to  a friend  best  describe  his  return  and  what  followed : 
44 


346 


“The  doctor  was  taken  sick  in  Pyong  Yang,  and  the 
home  journey  consumed  nine  long,  wearisome  days. 
During  the  last  day’s  journey  up  the  Han  River,  in 
conversation  with  Mr.  Moffett,  doctor  said  he  had  been 
willing  to  leave  home  when  the  Master  called  him  to  a 
foreign  field,  to  leave  Soul  when  he  was  called  to  Pyong 
Yang,  and  that  he  was  willing  and  ready  to  go  to  other 
service  on  high  if  the  Master  called  him  from  earth. 
After  Mr.  Moffett  had  read  a chapter  from  the  Bible  and 
prayed  with  him,  doctor  remarked,  ‘ How  sweet  it  is  to 
trust  in  Jesus!’  and  then  fell  asleep,  the  first  really  re- 
freshing sleep  he  had  since  his  illness  began. 

“Monday  morning,  November  19,  just  as  I was  get- 
ting some  medicine  ready  to  visit  an  out-patient,  word 
came  that  doctor  had  arrived.  I hastily  picked  up  our 
little  boy  and  ran  to  meet  him.  He  was  too  sick  to 
stand  alone  even,  and  had  to  be  carried  to  his  bed. 
Nearly  his  first  words  were,  ‘ I have  known  what  a joy 
wife  and  home  are  in  healtl)  ; now  I am  to  exi)erience 
what  a comfort  they  are  in  sickness.’ 

“ He  seemed  so  bright  and  cheerful  the  first  day  after 
getting  home  that  it  was  difficult  to  realize  he  was  so 
dangerously  ill  ; yet  the  fever  thermometer  would  reg- 
ister one  hundred  and  five  degrees.  He  was  able  to 
help  himself  to  water  that  stood  close  by  him  that 
night,  but  by  the  next  night  he  was  as  helpless  as  a 
babe, 

“Wednesday  morning  doctor  asked  Mr.  Noble  to 
bring  ])encil  and  paper,  and  he  gave  him  the  items  of 
expense  in  the  trip  he  had  just  made  ; all  his  other 
accounts,  he  said,  would  be  found  in  his  books.  He 
was  ever  thus  careful  about  all  business  details.  When 
he  had  finished  he  said,  ‘Now  I am  ready  to  live  or  to 
die  ; I would  like  to  work  longer  for  the  Master  if  it  be 


347 


His  will,  but  if  not,  I shall  go  “ sweeping  through  the 
gates  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb;  ” ’ and  after  a 
moment’s  pause  he  added,  ‘It  is  all  the  blood  of  Jesus.’ 
A favorite  hymn  of  his,  often  upon  his  lips  in  health,  was, 

“ ‘Jesus,  thy  blood  and  righteousness’ 

My  beauty  are,  my  glorious  dress.’ 

“ Already  it  was  hard  for  him  to  talk,  and  it  was 
beginning  to  be  difficult  to  understand  what  he  said. 
A gradually  spreading  paresis  seemed  to  be  involving 
the  muscles  of  his  throat.  We  had  the  best  advice  of 
five  physicians,  but  it  began  to  look  as  if  he  were  going 
to  leave  us  in  spite  of  all  that  could  be  done. 

“ Thursday  morning  doctor  asked  for  pencil  and 
paper  and  attempted  to  write,  but  found  that  he  was  far 
too  weak.  His  only  trouble  seemed  to  be  because  he 
could  not  tell  all  that  was  in  his  heart  to  say.  His 
eyes  would  look  sorrowfully  into  mine,  but  he  could 
only  stammer  brokenly,  ‘ I— love — you.’  In  the  after- 
noon he  asked  for  little  Sherwood  ; he  looked  at  him 
lovingly  and  longingly,  but  he  who  was  known  in  both 
America  and  Korea  as  the  ‘children’s  friend’  had  to 
take  a silent  farewell  of  his  only  son.  His  last  attempt 
to  talk  much  was  to  tell  me  not  to  regret  his  going  to 
Pyong  Yang,  and  he  said,  ‘I  did  it  for  Jesus’  sake,  and 
He  will  reward  me.’ 

“ Dear  doctor,  his  faith  was  ever  as  simple  as  that  of 
a child,  and  he  never  had  any  more  fear  of  death  than 
a babe  of  falling  asleep  in  its  mother’s  arms. 

“ Saturday,  November  24,  1894,  just  at  sunset,  he  fell 
‘ asleep  in  Jesus,’  to  awake  in  the  eternal  Sabbath  day. 

“All  that  afternoon  he  kept  his  eyes  fixed  upon  mine, 
and  he  seemed  to  want  me  to  hold  both  his  hands  in 
mine,  and  that  is  how  he  left  me.  I closed  those  loving 


DR  HALl/s  GRAVE  ON  THE  I5ANKS  OF  I'lIE  HAN. 


349 


eyes,  then,  thinking  how  they  could  never  look  into 
mine  again,  I opened  them  for  one  long,  last  look  ; 
they  were  still  so  bright  and  so  clear  it  seemed  as  if  he 
must  still  see  me.  I then  went  to  my  room,  took  dear 
little  Sherwood  in  my  arms,  and  claimed  God’s  promises 
for  him  and  myself.” 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  we  placed  the  form  of  our 
beloved  brother  in  a huge  Korean  coffin,  and  bore  it 
down  to  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Han.  It  is  a peace- 
ful place  to  rest,  lying  among  those  for  whom  he  died. 

W.  A.  Noble. 


Madison,  N.  J.,  January^  1896. 


APPENDIX 


The  Memorial  Service* 

Tuesday,  November  27,  1894,  the  following  beauti- 
ful and  appropriate  memorial  service  was  rendered  in 
the  Pai  Chai  Chapel  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  W.  A, 
Noble  : 

Hymn,  “Asleep  in  Jesus.” 

Isa.  xliii,  1-15,  the  doctor’s  favorite  Scripture  lesson. 

Prayer  by  Rev.  W.  B.  Scranton,  M.D. 

Address,  biographical,  by  Rev.  W.  A.  Noble. 

Address,  Dr.  Hall  as  a Medical  Missionary,  by  Dr. 
C.  C.  Vinton. 

Address  by  Rev.  S.  A.  Moffett. 

Hymn,  F.  R.  HavergaPs  Consecration  Hymn. 

Address  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Busteed. 

“Who  Will  Go  } ” written  by  Fanny  Crosby. 

Address  by  Rev.  Graham  Lee. 

Hymn,  “ My  Jesus,  I Love  Thee,”  by  request  of 
Mrs.  Hall. 

Address  by  Rev.  H.  G.  Appenzeller,  “Dr.  Hall’s  In- 
troduction to  Mission  Work  and  End.” 

Solo,  “Sweeping  Through  the  Gates,”  by  Rev.  Gra- 
ham Lee. 

Benediction. 


3’52 

A Wreath  of  Memorials* 

Dear  Dr.  Busteed  : I have  received  the  sad  news 
conveyed  in  your  letter  with  feelings  of  the  most  pro- 
found sympathy.  The  death  of  so  devoted  and  earnest 
a worker  in  the  mission  field  will  be  not  only  an  irre- 
parable loss  to  his  fellow-missionaries,  but  will  also  be 
deeply  regretted  by  his  many  friends  in  other  walks  of 
life,  of  whom  I am  proud  to  count  myself  one. 

I do  not  like  to  intrude  at  such  a painful  moment, 
but  I should  feel  obliged  if  you  would  kindly  take  an 
opportunity  of  conveying  to  Mrs.  Hall  the  expression 
of  my  sincere  sympathy  with  her  in  the  trial  which  has 
befallen  her. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Walter  C.  Hillier. 

November  24,  1894. 

My  Dear  IMrs.  Hall  : I have  been  longing  to  in 
some  way  be  able  to  express  my  own  grief  and  my  deep 
sympathy  with  you,  but  I have  felt  dazed,  not  knowing 
what  to  do.  I had  so  little  knowledge  of  the  real  situ- 
ation, and  had  felt  so  confident  that  as  soon  as  we 
reached  home  all  would  be  well,  that  I have  not  been 
able  to  realize  that  the  end  has  come.  The  doctor  and 
I had  never  been  so  intimately  associated  as  we  were 
these  last  two  months,  and  I feel  my  own  loss  much 
more  keenly  in  consequence. 

We  had  counseled  together  and  planned  together 
for  our  work  in  Pyong  Yang.  He  had  helped  me  much 
and  had  shown  so  much  pleasure  in  having  me  meet 
with  and  preach  to  your  men  while  in  your  house  there. 
He  had  consulted  with  me  about  the  men  who  wished 
to  be  received  into  the  church,  and  I had  talked  with 


353 


them  and  was  to  have  had  a share  in  the  service  that 
day  had  I not  been  too  unwell. 

His  last  work  there  was  care  for  the  sick  and  the 
baptism  of  four  men  who  gave  every  promise  of  being 
sincere  believers  in  Christ.  Truly  he  has  left  you  a 
rich  legacy  in  the  knowledge  of  his  faithfulness  in  the 
Master’s  service;  instant  in  season  and  out  of  season, 
making  full  proof  of  his  ministry. 

I shall  now  never  forget  the  two  long  talks  I had 
with  him,  one  in  Chemulpo  and  one  on  the  Korean 
junk  as  we  came  up  the  river.  Perhaps  he  realized 
then  that  he  would  soon  be  going,  but,  although  we 
talked  of  heaven  and  of  the  Lord’s  call,  I did  not  then 
think  that  the  Lord  would  call  him  so  soon. 

With  what  perfect  assurance  the  doctor  left  himself 
in  the  Lord’s  hands,  and  with  what  peace  and  restful- 
ness he  trusted  in  the  promises  which  I read  to  him 
from  the  Psalms,  I now  think  of  with  gratitude  and 
comfort. 

Some  day,  not  now,  when  doubtless  you  wish  to  be 
alone  with  God,  I shall  want  to  talk  with  you  of  those 
two  conversations. 

How  distinctly  I remember  now  the  quiet  peace 
which  rested  upon  him  after  I had  read  and  prayed 
with  him!  He  closed  his  eyes,  saying,  “How  sweet  it 
is  to  trust  the  Lord  ! ’’  and  then  went  to  sleep. 

“We  sorrow  not  as  those  who  have  no  hope.’’  May 
your  faith  be  strong,  giving  you  a nearness  to  God  and 
sustaining  you  and  enabling  you  to  cast  this  great  bur- 
den on  the  Lord. 

Most  sincerely, 

Samuel  A.  Moffett. 


45 


354 


yiRS.  Hall  : My  dear  friend,  I should  love  to  see 
you,  but  that  I cannot  do,  as  Miss  Strong  is  away  and 
I am  unable  to  leave  the  school. 

I need  not  tell  you  that  I have  thought  of  you  many, 
many  times.  Those  beautiful  words  which  you  brought 
to  our  thoughts  in  one  of  our  little  prayer  meetings  have 
come  to  me  so  often  as  I have  thought  of  you,  and  I 
have  prayed  that  He  verify  them  to  you,  “ He  stayetli 
his  rough  wind  in  the  day  of  his  east  wind.” 

Ever  lovingly  yours, 

Susie  A.  Doty. 

Dece7nber  3,  1894. 

Soul,  Korea,  Novemba-  26,  1894. 

]\Iv  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : You  can’t,  my  dear  friend, 
know  how  deeply  we  both  feel  for  you  in  this  sore  af- 
fliction— the  death  of  your  husband.  No  one  loved 
him  better  than  we  did.  I wish  I could  be  of  some 
comfort  to  you.  You  know  Dr.  Hall  is  in  heaven,  is  at 
rest  in  the  presence  of  our  heavenly  Father.  God  took 
him  because  it  is  best  ; we  don’t  or  can’t  know  why. 

Now,  Mrs.  Hall,  as  soon  as  you  can  will  not  you  and 
your  child  come  over  and  stay  several  days  with  us.^ 
You  can  be  as  quiet  here  as  you  like  ; you  need  the 
rest  and  change  from  sad  surroundings.  Let  me  know 
when  you  can  come,  and  I will  send  my  chair  for  you. 

My  son  is  far  from  being  well,  is  not  going  out  at 
all.  Only  for  a day  or  two  has  he  left  his  room  to  come 
and  see  me,  and  I am  feeling  very  nervous  and  every- 
thing upsets  me.  Excuse  this  writing,  am  not  feeling 
equal  to  it. 

Now,  if  we  can  do  anything  for  you,  let  us  know  it. 

Yours  with  much  love, 

M.  E.  Greathouse. 


355 


My  Dear  Dr.  Scranton  : I have  learned  with 

deep  regret  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Hall.  I would  attend 
his  funeral  if  I were  in  good  health,  but  I have  been 
confined  to  my  room  by  fever.  Although  I am  better, 
I do  not  dare  venture  out  of  doors. 

Pray,  tell  Mrs.  Hall  that  I deeply  realize  her  loss. 
She  may  be  assured  that  all  who  knew  her  husband 
share  in  her  sorrow. 

Yours  faithfully, 

C.  W.  Le  Gendre. 

November  29,  1894. 

Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : I just  want  to  write  and  tell 

you  that  my  heart  goes  out  in  tenderest  sympathy  to 
you.  I think  of  you  so  often  ! and  pray  that  God  may 
“bless  you  and  cause  His  face  to  shine  upon  you”  in 
tenderness  and  comfort.  Our  loving  Father  loved  our 
dear  Dr.  Hall,  we  know,  and  he  lived  so  close  to  his 
God  that  it  was  but  a step  higher  for  him.  O,  how  happy 
he  is  now  ! Kiss  little  Sherwood  for  me,  and  believe 
me 

Your  sincere  friend, 

Patsy  B.  Reynolds. 

P.  S. — Mr.  Reynolds  wishes  me  to  send  his  sympa- 
thy, and  tell  you  that  he  prays  that  you  may  have  all 
the  comfort  that  a living  Saviour  can  give.  P.  B.  R. 

Dear  Mrs.  H.\ll  : When  I would  tell  you  how 

my  heart  bleeds  for  you,  words  fail  me.  If  there  is  any- 
thing I can  do  for  you,  get  some  one  to  write  and  let  me 
know. 

Surely  yours  in  sympathy, 

Mattie  Tate. 


356 


Soul,  Dtcembei-  3,  1894. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall:  Several  times  I have  in- 

tended calling  upon  you  to  offer  you  my  sincere  con- 
dolences on  your  great  and  sad  loss,  but  I have  as  often 
been  prevented  ; therefore,  at  last,  I write  to  tell  you 
how  sincerely  I sympathize  with  you  in  your  great  sor- 
row. 

The  great  part  of  your  married  life  has  appeared  to 
me  to  consist  of  farewells  and  welcomes  to  your  dear 
husband.  Now  it  is  the  farewell  for  the  last  time, 
but  how  joyous  will  be  the  welcome  when  at  last  you 
meet  where  no  partings  come  to  mar  the  joy  of  that 
reunion. 

I shall  always  remember  Dr.  Hall  as  last  I saw  him, 
so  gently  caring  for  Mrs.  Noble  and  her  baby — indeed  all 
of  us  on  the  sanpan,  as  we  came  up  the  river  that  even- 
ing— so  thoughtful  and  kindly  to  all. 

I hear  you  are  probably  leaving  for  home  soon  ; if 
that  be  so,  I wish  you  and  your  son  a safe  voyage  and 
journey  to  your  own  land,  though  I am  sorry  you  are 
leaving  Soul. 

Again  with  warmest  sympathy,  believe  me,  dear  Mrs. 
Hall, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

L.  R.  Cooke. 

Sunday. 

Mv  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : My  heart  goes  out  to  you 

in  love  and  sympathy  in  this  trying  time.  Our  thoughts 
have  often  been  with  you  in  these  last  few  days,  although 
we  have  not  been  to  see  you.  . 

We  feel  that  we  have  lost  a dear  friend,  for  the  more 
we  saw  of  Dr.  Hall  the  better  we  liked  him.  But  our 
Father  knew  best,  and  has  called  him  higher. 


357 


Dear  Mrs.  Hall,  we  pray  that  you  may  be  strength- 
ened to  bear  this  trial,  and  dear  little  Sherwood — God 
bless  him  ! and  may  he  grow  up  to  be  a great  comfort  to 
you,  as  I know  he  already  is. 

Mamma  and  Mr.  Lee  both  join  me  in  heartfelt  love 
and  sympathy. 

Yours  lovingly, 

Blanche  W.  Lee. 

December  4,  1894. 

Dear  Mrs.  Hall  ; Miss  Arbuckle  is  sending  her 
boy  over  your  way  to-day,  and  I am  taking  the  oppor- 
tunity to  write  you  a little  note  of  love  and  sympathy. 
I should  have  been  to  see  you  before,  especially  since 
I heard  that  you  were  going  away  so  soon,  if  I had  not 
been  laid  up  myself.  Just  now  I am  staying  with  Miss 
Arbuckle  at  the  hospital,  and  am  not  able  to  go  out  for 
a few  days.  I am  afraid  that  you  will  be  away  before 
I can  see  you  and  tell  you  how  sorry  I am  for  you,  and 
how  I hope  the  dear  Lord  will  comfort  and  keep  you. 

May  you  have  a safe  journey,  and  both  you  and  Sher- 
wood be  kept  well  ! I have  prayed  for  you  each  day 
since  your  sorrow  came,  and  believe  that  God  will 
comfort  you  and  give  you  a peace  that  no  one  can 
take  away. 

With  very  much  love,  and  a kiss  to  the  baby. 

Yours  lovingly, 

Ellen  Strong. 

Wonsan,  Korea,  December  5,' 1894. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : I cannot  tell  you  how 
greatly  pained  I am  upon  hearing  of  the  death  of  Dr. 
Hall,  your  dear  husband,  whom  we  all  loved.  How 
very  sad  it  is ! T first  heard  of  it  through  Dr.  Hardie 


358 


this  morning,  and  was  hoping  it  was  not  so,  but  alas  I 
when  I opened  the  letter  from  Dr.  Scranton,  as  our 
mail  has  just  arrived,  it  was  too  true.  May  the  dear 
Lord  guide  and  comfort  you  through  these  trying  hours  ! 
My  husband  is  away.  Gone  for  a two  weeks’  trip.  I 
know  he  will  be  greatly  pained  to  hear  the  sad  news. 
Hope  your  dear  babe  is  well  and  we  shall  hear  from 
you  when  you  feel  able  to  write.  How  I would  like  to 
do  something  for  you  I I know  you  have  lots  of  dear 
friends  in  Soul  that  will  do  all  they  can  to  comfort 
you.  Yours,  with  much  love, 

Lizzie  McGill. 

Chemulpo,  Xovember  26. 

Mv  Loved  Friend  : My  heart  is  filled  with  grief 
and  sympathy  as  I write  to  you  this  morning.  We 
have  just  heard  of  your  sad  bereavement,  and  our  hearts 
are  filled  with  sorrow.  We  cannot  realize  that  doctor 
has  gone  to  his  heavenly  home.  How  I wish  I could 
say  some  word  of  comfort  to  you  ! but  at  such  times 
man’s  words  seem  but  empty  sounds.  As  a wounded 
child*  flees  to  its  mother  for  comfort,  so,  my  dear  friend, 
rest  in  the  bosom  of  Him  who  shall  wipe  away  all  tears 
and  pour  soothing  balm  into  the  wounded  heart. 

I feel  that  I have  lost  a big  brother,  for  such  doc- 
tor was  to  me.  Xobody  was  better  fitted  for  heaven 
than  he,  and  how  precious  the  hope  that  we  shall  meet 
him  again  I 

“ Why  should  our  tears  in  sorrow  flow 
When  God  recalls  his  own. 

And  bids  them  leave  a world  of  woe. 

For  an  immortal  crown  ? 

" Their  toils  are  past,  their  work  is  done 
And  they  are  fully  blest : 

They  fought  the  fight,  the  victory  won, 

.\nd  entered  into  rest. 


359 


“ Then  let  our  sorrows  cease  to  flow  ; 

God  has  recalled  his  own  ; 

But  let  our  hearts,  in  every  woe, 

Still  say,  ‘ Thy  will  be  done.’  ” 

Be  assured  of  our  daily  prayers. 

Lovingly,  M.  Bengel  Jones. 

Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : I have  not  said  any  words  of 
sympathy  or  of  comfort  to  you,  not  because  I have  felt 
no  sympathy  with  you,  not  because  I have  not  wished 
you  the  best  of  all  comfort,  but  simply  because  I felt 
that  uwrds  express  and  convey  so  little  at  such  times. 
You  know  you  have  had  my  sympathy  ; you  know  I 
would  comfort  you  if  it  were  in  my  power,  but  you 
have  better  comfort,  even  the  God  of  all  peace.  May 
He  ever  be  with  you,  guide,  keep,  and  bless  you  is  my 
prayer. 

If  you  find  time  to  drop  me  a line  sometime  I shall 
be  very  much  pleased.  I hope  you  may  have  a safe 
and  pleasant  journey.  You  will  find  friends  everywhere 
on  the  way  to  help  you  on.  I pray  that  you  may  be 
enabled  soon  to  come  back  and  work  with  us  again.  I 
wish  you  could  stay  now. 

God  bless  and  speed  you  on  your  way!  With  much 
love.  Yours,  as  ever, 

^ L.  C.  Rothweiler. 

From  One  of  the  Mission  School  Girls. 

My  Very  Dear  Mrs.  Hall:  How  are  you,  dear 
doctor,  and  is  your  baby  very  well .?  I think  you  are 
very  busy  now,  because  you  go  to  America  very  soon. 
I am  glad  you  can  go  to  your  country  and  see  your 
father,  mother,  brothers,  sisters,  and  friends;  but  I am 
not  glad,  because  I cannot  see  you  until  you  come  to 
Korea  again. 


360 


When  I stay  in  Mrs.  Scranton’s  house,  one  Christ- 
mas time,  you  told  us  the  story  of  you  and  Dr.  Hall, 
and  you  said  by  and  by  you  would  be  married.  I felt 
very  bad  because  I was  afraid  I can’t  see  you  often, 
and  that  time  I don’t  love  him,  because  I never  saw 
him  much,  but  you  get  married,  and  I see  him  more, 
and  I think  he  is  very  kind  and  true  and  very  good 
man,  and  I love  him.  But  now  he  is  dead — gone  to 
heaven  to  live  with  Jesus,  and  I am  sorry  for  you.  I 
hope  you  will  not  feel  bad,  because  when  yoil  will  die 
and  go  to  heaven  you  will  see  each  other.  I hope 
Sherwood  will  grow  soon  and  take  care  of  his  mother, 
and  be  a good  boy  and  come  again  to  Korea  and  preach 
to  the  people  God’s  word.  I hope  God  will  bless  you 
everywhere  you  go  and  always  give  you  peaceful 
heart. 

I shall  wish  to  see  you  very  much  and  think  of  you 
every  day.  My  dear  doctor,  when  you  stay  in  America 
please  must  not  forget  me  and  pray  for  me.  I tliink 
this  is  like  a dream.  I will  not  write  more  because  I do 
not  know  English  much. 

From  your  truly  friend, 

Mary  Sparks  Wheeler  (Pong  Sunie). 

Chemulpo,  Korea,  Nove?nber  27,  1894. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall:  I write  this  to  convey  to  you 
my  heartfelt  sympathy  with  you  in  this  sad,  heavy  trial 
you  have  been  called  upon  to  pass  through.  Yet  human 
sympathy  must  seem  very  shallow  and  hollow,  and  I 
rejoice  to  know  that  He  who  alone  can  pour  balm  into 
a heart  wounded  as  yours  has  been  is  your  comfort  and 
stay. 

We  have  all  suffered  a personal  loss.  We  all  grieve 
with  you.  I loved  Dr.  Hall  as  a brother,  and  esteemed 


361 


him  for  all  his  lovable  qualities.  In  him  a great  and 
good  man  has  gone  to  his  reward. 

Precious  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  His 
saints.”  The  good  deeds  which  have  filled  your  sainted 
husband’s  life  make  its  short  span  equal  to  the  three- 
score and  ten  of  most  others.  Assuring  you  of  the 
united  love  and  sympathy  of  Mrs.  Jones  and  myself, 
Yours  most  regretfully, 

Geo.  Heber  Jones. 

Dear  Mrs.  Hall:  I loved  the  doctor  more  than 
any  words  would  express,  and  any  slight  service  I have 
done  or  may  yet  be  permitted  to  do  is  in  itself  a sweet 
pleasure. 

■ Anything  you  wish  done,  please  command  me.  Mrs. 
Noble  and  I will  be  around  to  see  you  in  the  morning — 
perhaps  you  will  have  some  particulars  about  which  you 
wish  to  speak.  Very  sincerely, 

W.  A.  Noble. 

Elbe  Mills,  December  27,  1894. 

My  Dear  Sister  and  Nephew:  Words  cannot  ex- 
press the  terrible  shock  we  received  on  Friday,  Decem- 
ber 7,  when  a letter  came  to  us  from  Mr.  McCabe,  New 
York,  announcing  the  death  by  typhus  fever  of  my  dear 
brother.  We  could  scarcely  believe  it,  but  thought 
there  must  be  some  mistake,  as  we  had  received  word  a 
short  time  before  that  he  was  well.  How  anxiously  we 
looked  for  every  paper  to  see  if  it  would  not  be  con- 
tradicted, but  our  hopes  were  soon  dispelled  when  we 
received  your  letter  of  November  22. 

How  deeply  we  feel  for  you  and  the  little  baby.  It 
seems  as  if  it  would  not  be  so  hard  to  bear  if  we  could 
only  be  together.  Although  we  know  that  Jimmy  was 
46 


362 


ready  and  willing  to  go,  yet  it  is  so  hard  to  give  him  up. 
We  know  it  must  be  all  for  the  best,  though  we  cannot 
see  it.  It  would  have  seemed  some  comfort  if  his  body 
could  have  only  been  brought  to  his  native  land,  but 
then  what  does  it  matter  where  the  body  lies,  as  long  as 
we  know  the  soul  has  gone  home. 

Although  Jimmy  was  away  from  his  home,  away  from 
all  his  people,  yet  we  have  a great  deal  to  be  thankful 
for.  We  know  that  God  was  always  with  him,  and  then 
he  had  one  who  was  not  only  skillful,  but  loving  and 
tender  to  watch  over  him.  O,  how  we  thank  God  for 
giving  him  such  a wife. 

You  have  lost  a loving  husband  and  I a dear  brother. 
May  it  serve  to  bring  us  closer  together  and  nearer 
heaven. 

We  are  all  quite  well  except  mother,  who  takes 
Jimmy’s  death  very  hard. 

Do  you  think  of  coming  home.  How  I hope  we  may 
live  to  see  each  other,  and  that  we  may  see  dear  little 
Sherwood. 

We  had  a very  kind  and  sympathetic  letter  from  Dr. 
Dowkontt.  What  a dear  good  man  he  must  be  to 
write  such  a letter. 

I must  now  close.  Write  often,  and  may  God  sus- 
tain you  as  He  alone  can,  is  the  prayer  of 

Your  loving  sister, 

Lillie  H. 

Liberty,  N.  Y.,  December  7,  1894. 

De.vr  Child  and  Grandson  : With  a sad  heart  and 
tears  in  my  eyes  I write  you  this  short  letter.  O,  we 
feel  so  sorry  for  you.  God’s  ways  are  so  mysterious. 
As  your  sister  Annie  says,  the  doctor  was  working 
almost  day  and  night  for  the  Lord  ; why  could  he  not 


363 


have  been  spared?  But  God’s  ways  are  not  ours,  and 
we  must  believe  them  best. 

Brother  Turrentine  and  wife  came  down  and  called 
u])on  us,  Wednesday,  the  fifth,  and  inquired  after  you  and 
the  doctor.  I told  them  I received  a postal  from  you  the 
first  of  the  week,  that  said  you  were  well  and  safe,  and 
that  you  had  good  news  from  the  doctor  in  Pyong 
Yang,  and  was  expecting  him  home  soon.  Brother 
Turrentine  then  said  what  had  brought  them  down. 
He  told  us  he  read  in  a daily  New  York  paper  that 
morning  that  a cablegram  had  been  received  at  the 
Mission  Rooms,  150  Fifth  Avenue,  that  the  doctor  was 
dead.  The  news  came  there  December  i.  It  was  a 
great  shock  to  us.  How  hard  it  must  be  for  you,  dear 
child.  We  are  anxious  to  hear  from  you  all  the  par- 
ticulars. Did  he  die  with  you  or  at  Pyong  Yang  ? O, 
we  hope  he  got  back  to  you  ! What  will  you  do  ^ Will 
you  come  home?  We  don’t  know  how  to  advise  you; 
you  must  use  your  own  judgment,  but  remember  you 
will  be  very  welcome  here.  You  have  our  sympathy, 
and  that  of  the  pastor  and  wife — in  fact,  of  the  wliole 
church  in  Liberty. 

Trust  in  the  Lord,  dear  child  ; He  is  our  help  and 
shield.  Don’t  neglect  yourself  or  Sherwood  ; we  do 
hope  he  will  be  spared  to  you  and  us — he  will  be  a 
comfort  to  you.  My  prayer  is  that  our  lives  and  health 
may  be  spared  to  see  each  other  in  this  world,  and  if  this 
is  not  ours  to  enjoy,  we  will  all  meet  in  heaven  to  part  no 
more.  God  bless  and  keep  you  safe.  Mother. 

. Goldsboro,  N.  C.,  December  ii,  1894. 

Dear  Gousin  Rosa  : Word  has  just  reached  us  of 
your  sad  bereavement,  and  I write  at  once  to  send  you 
our  heartfelt  sorrovv  and  sympathy. 


364 


What  are  you  going  to  do,  poor  dear  one  ? It  does 
seem  too  hard.  The  last  letter  from  you  told-  of  so 
much  happiness,  we  all  shared  in  your  joy.  And  now, 
so  soon,  you  are  left  alone,  more  alone  in  that  horrid 
land  than  at  first,  before  you  knew  the  comfort  of  a 
helper.  It  is  very  hard  for  you  to  bear  this  trial,  the 
loneliness  of  it.  Won’t  you  come  home  ? You  should 
not  brave  it  out  there  until  you,  too,  break.  I declare, 
I am  rebellious  at  the  thought  of  the  loss  of  such  a 
noble  life  as  Dr.  Hall’s.  And  how  much  more  terrible 
it  must  be  to  you,  dear  one. 

Write  to  me  if  you  can.  My  thoughts  have  been 
with  you  all  during  this  war,  and  we  have  been  hoping 
you  and  yours  were  safe. 

Mamma  and  I are  in  the  South,  seeking,  for  me  that 
unknown  quantity,  health.  I am  much  better,  being 
able  to  walk  and  write  a little. 

Mamma  sends  her  love  to  you.  She  says  to  tell  you 
she  thinks  of  you  often  with  sympathy. 

Rosa,  do  not  wear  yourself  out  in  that  lifework. 
Come  home  to  your  own  people,  if  only  for  a little  while. 

With  a heart  full  of  love  for  you. 

As  ever,  lovingly, 

Evelyn  C.  Dewey. 

Northville,  N.  Y.,  December  13,  1894. 

Dear  Sister  Rosetta:  The  last  Christia?i  Advo- 

cate contained  the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  your  hus- 
band. Can  it  be  possible  ! It  is,  indeed,  a mysterious 
providence.  How  sorrowful  you  must  be  in  your  far 
distant  home  ! So  shortly  wed— so  soon  parted  ! Though 
left  alone  in  a strange  land,  yet  He  who  never  leaves 
nor  forsakes  is  with  you.  His  arm  is  strong  ; His  grace 
sufficient,  'bhe  sympathizing  words  of  earthly  friends 


' 365  . 

may  be  pleasant,  but  none  but  Jesus,  “ whose  you  are, 
and  whom  you  serve,”  can  afford  you  real  comfort  and 
solace  in  such  a trying  hour.  But  rest  assured,  prayers 
went  up  for  you  as  soon  as  the  mournful  news  reached 
us.  ‘‘What  I do  thou  knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shalt 
know  hereafter.”  These  inscrutable  things  of  God  will 
be  fully  explained  when  we  see  them  in  the  clear  light 
of  eternity.  Till  then  we  will  have  to  wait  in  wonder- 
ment and  submission,  and  simply  say,  “ Even  so.  Father; 
for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  Thy  sight.” 

We  had  fondly  hoped  that  you  and  your  husband 
would  be  spared  for  many  years  to  each  other,  and  that 
some  day  we  might  see  you  both  in  the  flesh  ; but  God, 
whose  name  is  love,  in  His  infinite  wisdom  has  ordained 
otherwise. 

What  are  your  plans  now  } Will  you  go  on  with  your 
missionary  work  ? We  shall  be  very  anxious  to  hear 
from  you  the  particulars  of  the  doctor’s  death,  and  also 
about  your  future  plans. 

The  boys  thought  it  hard  that  their  Uncle  Will  should 
die  away  off  there  and  be  buried  and  they  never  see  him. 
They  could  not  understand  it.  Who  can  ? 

Annie  wrote  us  that  C.  C.  McCabe  wrote  them  after 
receiving  the  cablegram  of  your  husband’s  death.  May 
God  bless  and  sustain  you  is  our  prayer. 

Lovingly  and  sympathizingly,  your  brother 

Frank. 

Castile,  N.  Y.,  Ja?iuary  21,  1895. 

Dear  Sister  Zettie  : We  saw  by  The  Register  that 
you  had  arrived  home.  We  are  so  glad  to  know  you  are 
safe  at  home,  and  dear  little  Sherwood.  Charlie  and  I 
both  wrote  you  at  Korea  as  soon  as  we  heard  of  your 
husband’s  death  ; but,  of  course,  you  left  before  you 


366 


received  it.  We  feel  so  sorry  for  you,  and  wish  we 
could  do  something  to  show  our  sympathy. 

I wish  I could  write  some  words  to  comfort  you. 
You  must  not  grieve  too  much.  You  have  dear  little 
Sherwood,  and  you  know  the  promise,  “I  will  be  a 
father  to  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow’s  God.”  All  the 
dear  home  friends  will  help  you  all  they  can,  I know; 
and  if  there  is  anything  Charlie  or  I can  do  you  must 
not  hesitate  to  ask. 

It  all  seems  dark  now,  but  after  a while  you  will  love 
to  think  of  the  good  service  you  were  both  permitted 
to  do  for  the  Master.  What  a blessed  memory  is  left  to 
you!  Your  dear  husband  was  about  his  “Father’s 
business,”  and  he  was  so  dear  in  “ His  sight  ” that  He 
has  taken  him  away  from  all  the  toil,  weariness,  and 
hardships  which  he  was  enduring  for  Christ  and  the 
Gospel’s  sake,  and  He  has  given  him  “ a crown  of  life.” 
But  I know  it  seems  as  if  the  light  had  gone  out  of 
your  life,  and  I pray  God  to  comfort  you  as  a mother 
comforteth  her  children.  With  a heart  full  of  love  and 
prayers  that  God  will  bless  you, 

Maggie. 

Forestburg,  N.  Y.,  January  28,  1895. 
Mrs.  Rosetta  S.  Hall. 

My  Dear  Cousin;  I believe  this  is  the  first  time  I have 
addressed  you  as  “Mrs.  Hall;  ” but  the  remembrance 
of  you  has  ever  been  vivid  to  me,  and  I have  always 
been  pleased  to  hear  from  you  through  others,  and  also 
through  The  Christian  Herald.  My  sympathy,  though 
unexpressed,  was  with  you  and  your  husband  in  your 
work  in  Korea.  And  now,  since  this  great  sorrow  has 
come  to  you  I feel  impelled  to  write  and  express  my 
heartfelt  sympathy  for  you. 


367 


I know  by  recent  experience  how  little  comfort 
earthly  friends  can  give,  and  I know,  too,  how  much 
the  great  Comforter  can  do  to  heal  the  wounded  heart. 
May  you  feel  the  fullness  of  His  sympathy,  and  trust 
Him  for  everything,  knowing  that  He  is  too  wise  to  err. 

1 trust  this  may  find  you  rapidly  recovering,  and  that 
yourself  and  family  may  not  be  affected  by  the  rigidity 
of  our  Northern  winter.  The  change  must  be  very 
great,  and  you  will,  no  doubt,  have  to  get  acclimated. 
I congratulate  you  on  the  speed  and  safety  of  your 
journey. 

Frank  and  I wish  to  be  remembered  to  you  all. 

Yours  in  love  and  sympathy, 

Minnie  Gildersleeve. 

Cleveland,  O.,  April  27,  1895. 
Mrs.  Rosetta  S.  Hall,  M.D. 

Dear  Friend  : We  were  very  much  grieved  indeed  to 
learn  of  the  death  of  your  husband.  Although  person- 
ally not  knowing  him,  yet  we  felt  that  we  did  know  him 
through  his  letters  and  through  a warm  interest  in  a 
common  cause.  We  are  glad  indeed  that  you  know 
where  to  seek  comfort.  We  are  sure  that  you  have  it, 
and  thank  God  that  it  is  so. 

We  are  also  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  with  friends  at 
home,  and  that  you  have  children  that  will  help  to  fill 
and  cheer  your  lonely  heart.  May  God  bless  you  and 
them ! 

Sincerely  yours, 

D.  L.  Davis. 

Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  Dece77iber  13,  1894. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : We  have  just  returned  from 
a trip  south  and  on  taking  up  the  Advocate  discovered 


368 


our  great  loss.  It  seems  utterly  useless  to  try  and  ex- 
press my  feelings.  It  seems  as  if  the  one  that  could 
least  be  spared  from  the  field  had  been  taken.  Dr. 
Hall  had  become  widely  known  here  at  home  as  an 
earnest  and  faithful  leader  and  worker.  The  Church 
was  proud  of  him,  and  I am  neither  flattering  nor  ex- 
aggerating when  I say  that  he  was  more  frequently 
quoted,  especially  this  last  year,  than  all  the  rest  of  us 
taken  together.  The  mission  seemed  to  need  his  un- 
selfish, quiet,  modest  devotion  to  duty,  Pyong  Yang  his 
fearlessness,  and  the  whole  Church  the  inspiration  of 
his  apostolic  zeal.  It  may  have  been  selfish,  but  I felt 
personally  the  need  of  such  a brother  missionary.  He 
has  entered  upon  enjoyments  too  great  for  finite  reason 
to  grasp  or  for  halting  words  to  describe.  There  are  a 
number  of  them  joined  in  a long  praise  service,  and 
they’ll  reach  the  grand  doxology  just  as  we  approach 
the  gates.  It  must  be  that  this  dying  is  a slight  matter, 
“You’re  coming  too.”  They  leave  us  so  quietly,  al- 
most indifferently,  that  one  is  inclined  to  think  they 
see  the  past  and  future  blended  in  one  unbroken, 
eternal  present.  By  and  by  we’ll  know  how  it  is. 

There  are  many  channels,  though  but  one  source  of 
comfort.  Some  of  these  channels  have  a swift  current, 
others  bear  a deep,  slow  flood.  A kind  and  all-wise 
Father  directs  their  courses,  and  they  will  not  fail  to 
reach  the  desert  spot  of  your  sorrow.  “Wait  on  the 
Lord;  and  again  I say.  Wait  on  the  Lord.” 

I must  close.  Plant  a flower  or  two  when  you  go  to 
the  cemetery  ; they  will  blossom  under  the  dew  of  far- 
off  tears.  God  bless  you.  Sincerely, 

F.  Ohlinger. 


3^9 


IT* 


St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1895. 

My  Dear  Friend  : I received  a letter  from  Mrs. 
Scranton  telling  me  that  you  had  gone  to  Chemulpo  on 
your  way  home,  but  that  you  had  been  compelled  to 
stop  there,  as  Sherwood  was  taken  ill.  I do  not  know 
what  to  write  to  you  ; words  cannot  express  our  sym- 
pathy, nor  could  they  help  or  comfort  you  in  any  way. 
We  both  had  a great  respect  and  love  for  your  husband. 
He  seemed  one  of  God’s  own  children,  and  he  was  so 
full  of  his  love  to  the  Saviour  that  all  knew  and  felt  it. 
God’s  ways  are  past  finding  out.  As  far  as  we  could 
see  Dr.  Hall  was  necessary  to  the  work  in  Korea,  but 
it  seems  that  God’s  eyes  look  differently.  I know  that 
you  will  be  comforted  and  blessed  by  God,  and  that 
what  is  so  hard  and  so  very  great  a burden  will  be 
cleared  up  then,  and  the  love  of  your  heavenly  Fatlier 
will  be  shown  to  you.  We  sympathize  with  you  from 
full  hearts. 

My  love  and  a kiss  to  Sherwood.  I suppose  that  he 
is  a great,  large  boy  by  now.  Mr.  Bunker  joins  me  in 
love  and  best  wishes  to  you.  God  bless  and  keep  you 
in  all  your  ways  ! With  love, 

Annie  E.  Bunker. 

Mount  Silinda,  Gazaland,  February  24,  1895. 
Mrs.  Rosetta  Sherwood  Hall,  M.D. 

Dear  Doctor:  Your  very  interesting  letter  of  No- 
vember 5,  1894,  came  about  ten  days  ago.  We  were 
very  glad  to  hear  from  you  both  and  were  much  inter- 
ested in  the  account  of  your  work  amid  persecutions 
and  trials,  to  know  of  your  faith  ahd  hope  that  all  these 
dark  tilings  but  precede  a brighter  dawning.  We  felt 
to  rejoice  with  you  in  the  blessing  which  you  have  re- 
ceived in  the  son  that  God  has  given  you,  and  of 
47 


370 


which  we  heard  for  the  first  time  through  your  letter. 
How  surprised  we  were  to  get  a paper  {^The  Christian 
Herala)  by  the  next  post  giving  an  account  of  the  death 
of  your  dear  husband  ! How  sad  this  seems  to  our 
short-sighted  vision  ! How  your  heart  must  overflow 
with  sorrow!  But  through  it  all  you  can  look  up  and 
find  comfort  and  hope — can  “rejoice  in  hope  of  the 
glory  of  God.” 

We  wish  to  express  our  deep  sympathy  with  you  in 
this  affliction,  and  we  pray  you  may  be  sustained  and 
comforted  by  the  God  of  all  comfort. 

Dr.  Hall  was  one  of  my  most  esteemed  and  respected 
friends,  and  I feel  a personal  loss  in  his  death.  The 
example  of  his  life  is  an  inspiration  to  all  who  knew 
him,  I am  sure. 

I cannot  write  more  now.  We  are  all  well  and  going 
on  with  our  slow,  plodding  work  as  it  often  seems  to  us 
to  be.  I frequently  travel  from  ten  to  forty  miles  on 
foot  over  mountains  and  valleys  to  see  a patient.  Mrs. 
'Fhompson  joins  me  in  sympathy  and  kind  regard. 

Very  truly, 

Wm.  L.  Thompson. 

New  York,  January  i8,  1895. 
Mrs.  Sherwood  Hall,  M.D. 

My  Dear  Friend  : d'he  news  that  your  beloved  hus- 
band, and  my  dear  friend.  Dr.  Hall,  has  died  in  Korea 
of  typhus  has  just  reached  me.  It  was  of  course  a 
great  surprise  to  me,  but  since  my  dear  wife  has  gone 
to  heaven  just  so  lately  a similar  circumstance  of  this 
kind  does  not  cause  such  a shock  to  me  now  as  it  would 
have  done  before. 

I mean  what  I say,  that  1 sympathize  with  you  most 
sincerely,  but  how  can  I comfort  you  t My  comfort  is 


371 


in  the  promises  of  God  ; study  them,  trust  them  ! God 
is  faithful,  who  has  promised.  We  were  created  to 
glorify  God  and  to  enjoy  Him  forever.  Do  you  not  think 
that  it  is  more  than  probable  that  your  dear  husband 
and  my  dear  wife  are  glorifying  God  more  now  than 
ever  before  } On  the  mission  field,  especially  at  Con- 
ferences and  the  like  we  put  so  much  stress  on  our  own 
individual  importance  in  His  work  ; we  must  have  a 
man  here  and  must  have  a woman  there,  forgetting  that 
it  is  all  God’s  work,  and  He  is  merely  allowing  us  the 
privilege  of  working  with  Him  awhile.  We  may  each 
wonder  why  our  beloved  has  been  cut  off  so  soon,  but 
does  it  not  only  prove  that  the  work  does  not  depend 
on  us,  and  God  does  not  put  stress  so  much  on  what 
we  do  as  on  what  we  <?;r,  and  when  we  become  and 
are  like  Him  by  reflecting  his  image,  then  we  are  fit  to 
go  and  be  with  Him,  to  be  his  bride.  How  beautiful 
a thought,  that  they  are  weaned  from  earth  and  wedded 
to  Him  ! 

I am  taking  post-graduate  work  here,  but  hope  soon 
to  go  back  to  China  in  a month  or  six  weeks  probably. 
Dr.  Dowkontt  and  all  are  well  at  ii8  E.  45th.  Love  to 
Dr.  Busteed,  Dr.  Vinton,  Mr.  Noble,  and  their  wives,  if 
you  should  see  them.  You  need  not  trouble  to  answer, 
as  I know  how  hard  a task  it  is  to  write.  I trust  your 
son  is  well. 

Very  sincerely  your  friend  in  Christ, 

Wm.  Malcolm,  M.D. 

West  Newbury,  Mass.,  December  18,  1894. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall;  I was  so  shocked  to  hear  of 
the  death  of  Dr.  Hall.  I have  wanted  to  write  you  and 
let  you  know  how  sorry  I was  for  you,  but  have  felt  as 
though  no  words  of  mine  could  bring  to  you  any  com- 


372 


fort.  I have  never  met  with  such  an  affliction,  and 
only  those  who  have  can  know  what  it  means.  Dr. 
Hall  was  one  of  the  best  men  that  I ever  knew,  and  I 
have- heard  so  many  ungodly  men  bear  testimony  to  bis 
Christian  character  that  it  seems  as  though  he  had 
been  able  under  God  to  do  more  for  the  world  than 
most  have  been.  Words  seem  so  cold  on  paper,  I would 
like  to  say  them  to  you. 

I learned  so  much  of  Dr.  Hall  through  Dr.  Scott  ; 
he  always  had  so  much  to  tell  of  his  Christian  life.  You 
know  that  Dr.  Scott  has  come  home  ill  with  consump- 
tion and  is  living  in  Pasadena,  Cal. 

May  the  dear  Father  comfort  you  in  every  way  ! 

Believe  me  yours  with  love, 

Lillian  G.  Hale.- 

Sandy  Hill,  N.  X January  27,  1895. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  ; I wrote  to  you  a few 
weeks  ago  and  inclosed  my  photograph,  but  I have 
just  heard  of  your  return  to  Liberty,  and,  knowing 
you  had  not  received  my  letter,  I wrote  to  you  again 
extending  to  you  a cordial  and  friendly  greeting 
on  your  return.  How  I would  like  to  greet  you  in 
person  ! 

I tried  in  my  letter  to  you  to  say  something  comfort- 
ing to  you  about  Dr.  Hall’s  death,  but  I know  nothing 
I could  say  would  be  of  any  comfort.  I assure  you, 
however,  that  I sympathize  with  you  in  your  grief.  He 
has  done  such  a noble  work,  and  he  surely  was  a martyr 
to  the  cause.  When  I first  heard  of  his  death  I could 
not  believe  it.  It  seemed  to  me  that  God  would  not 
let  one  who  was  doing  such  a noble  work  die.  I have 
felt  this  way  about  both  of  you.  I knew  that  you  both 
were  surrounded  by  dangers,  but  I lelt  sure  that  God 


373 


would  protect  you.  I am  so  thankful  tliat  you  and  little 
Sherwood  are  spared. 

, The  people  , here  are  interested  in  you.  I have  told 
them  so  much  about  you  and  Dr.  Hall.  I read  the 
article  that  you  sent  me  written  by  Dr.  Hall  in  relation 
to  his  new  building  at  Pyong  Yang  at  a meeting  at  our 
church  two  or  three  weeks  ago. 

Mr.  Bond  is  our  pastor,  and  he  is  a particular  friend 
of  your  brother  Frank. 

I am  axious  to  know  about  your  health,  and  all  about 
you  and  little  Sherwood.  I have  been  wondering  if 
you  would  not  come  here  sometime  and  talk  to  us  about 
your  work. 

I hope  to  hear  from  you  soon.  It  seems  so  good  to 
know  that  a letter  will  reach  you  so  soon. 

My  love  to  all  of  your  ])eople,  and  kisses  for  Sher- 
wood. I am  lovingly  yours, 

Ellen  S.  Anderson. 

Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  February  13,  1895. 

Mv  Dear  Mrs.  Hall;  There  have  been  sad  days 
for  you  since  that  postal  I was  so  delighted  to  receive 
was  written.  The  news  of  the  death  of  your  husband 
came  just  a few  days  after  the  arrival' of  the  card,  and 
I wanted  to  write  a little  line  of  condolence,  but  feared 
to  send  it  to  Korea  lest  you  should  not  receive  it.  I 
now  learn  of  your  return  to  “ haunts  of  your  child- 
hood,” and  I hasten  to  tell  you  how  much  I feel  for  you 
in  this  day  of  your  great  bereavement.  There  are  “ ever- 
lasting arms  ” underneath  which  I know  are  sustaining 
you,  and  what  more  can  I do  than  pray  that  His  grace 
may  be  sufficient  for  you  even  in  this  dark  hour.  May 
the  dear  Lord  bless  and  sustain  you!  Your  card  was 
an  agreeable  surprise  to  me.  I remember  you  well. 


374 


though  I had  no  idea  when  I sent  those  picture  cards  to 
Dr.  Hall  that  there  was  one  in  his  family  of  whom  I 
had  such  pleasant  remembrances.  I’ve  always  been  a 
delighted  reader  of  the  accounts  of  Dr.  Hall’s  work  in 
The  Christian  Herald,  and  doubly  so  since  I’ve  known 
of  your  connection  with  that  work.  Missions  interest 
me  much.  My  connection  with  the  Missionary  Depart- 
ment of  the  State  Young  People’s  Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor  makes  this  even  greater.  I hope  it  may  be  my 
privilege  to  speak  face  to  face  with  you  ere  you  return 
again  to  Korea,  if  you  intend  so  to  do;  but  I will  be 
more  than  glad  to  have  a line  from  you  whenever  you 
may  find  time  to  write  to  me — anything  about  yourself, 
your  work,  the  field,  whatever  you  are  inclined  to  write 
about  will  interest  me  greatly.  You  ask  me  to  write 
about  myself.  I know  not  what  to  say  other  than  that 
the  dear  Lord  has  blessed  me  wonderfully,  led  me  out 
into  the  light,  set  my  feet  on  “the  solid  rock,”  willed 
to  work  through  me  for  His  honor  and  glory,  put  me  in 
the  midst  of  unlimited  opportunities, advanced  me,  given 
me  a happy  home,  a loving  little  wife  and  all  needed 
blessings  to  enjoy,  for  which  “ to  Him  be  thanksgiving 
forever.  Amen.”  With  warm  regards,  believe  me 
Yours,  very  cordially, 

Jno.  R.  Clements. 

Brooklyn,  February  3.  1895. 

My  De.-\r  Rosa:  I should  have  written  you  long 
ago,  but  lost  your  last  letter,  and  in  it  you  told  me  of 
your  being  en  route  for  a new  field  ; and  in  losing  the 
letter  I lost  the  new  address.  After  reading  of  your 
husband’s  death  I wanted  more  than  ever  to  write  to 
you.  I have  been  anxious  about  you  in  the  midst  of  the 
wars,  and  was  greatly  pained  to  hear  of  your  bitter  loss. 


375 


I am  very,  very  sorry  for  you,  my  dear.  I have  seen 
scarcely  any  account  beyond  the  mere  mention  of  Dr. 
Hall’s  death  in  the  Tribune^  Christian  Advocate^  and  a 
foreign  missionary  magazine.  I had  hoped  for  a more 
detailed  account  in  the  Advocate.  I do  not  take  it,  but 
have  friends  here  who  do.  It  seems  a pity  that  those 
who  are  so  much  needed,  and  are  doing  so  faithfully 
work  that  is  so  sorely  needed,  should  be  taken  away; 
but  God  knows  best,  and  we  can  only  be  glad  that  the 
occasion  of  our  grief  is  the  beginning  of  the  glorified 
life  of  our  loved  ones. 

I am  glad  that  you  came  home.  I could  not  bear  to 
think  of  you  in  that  troubled  land  alone  in  your  grief. 
I hope  you  will  remain  at  home  long  enough  for  me  to 
see  you  during  the  summer  vacation. 

Miss  Clock  and  Hattie  join  me  in  warmest  sympathy 
and  love.  Give  my  love  to  your  people. 

Lovingly  yours.  Temperance  Gray. 

New  York,  December  13,  1894. 

Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : The  news  of  your  husband’s  ill- 

ness and  death  is  read  by  us  with  deep  regret,  and  in  this 
note  we,  the  members  of  the  New  York  Deaconess  Home 
and  Training  School,  desire  to  express  to  you  our  heart- 
felt sympathy  and  loving  interest  in  your  hour  of  sorrow. 

Though  many  of  us  have  come  to  the  Home  since 
your  leave-taking  for  work  in  Korea  we  ever  hold  in 
memory  your  membership  in  our  Home. 

Our  prayer  is  that  the  God  of  all  comfort,  who  com- 
forteth  us  in  our  affliction,  may  uphold  and  keep  you 
by  His  own  great  power,  and  may  you  and  the  little  one 
given  you  be  precious  in  His  sight. 

Yours  with  loving  sympathy, 

Isabelle  A.  Reeves. 


3/6 


Washington,  D.  C.,  January  ii,  1895. 

Mv  Dear  Friend:  What  can  I write  you  at  such 
a time  as  this?  Words  seem  cold,  and  even  the  tenderest 
expression  of  consolation  may  appear  officious.  I know 
so  well,  so  sadly,  alas  ! how  to  sympathize  with  you  in 
this  great  irreparable  loss.  A great  pang  went  through 
my  heart  when  I knew  that  your  good  husband  had 
been  called  away  and  you  were  left  a widow  in  a strange, 
far-away  land.  My  dear,  I folded  you  to  my  heart — you 
and  your  little  , one,  and  held  you  to  the  great  com- 
passionate heart  of  our  Lord  Christ.  I recall  so  vividly 
the  morning  you  left  the  New  York  Home  to  start  on 
your  long  journey  to  Korea.  Dr.  Hall  walked  beside 
you;  some  of  us  wanted  to  accompany. you  to  the  train, 
but  we  read  his  heart  and  knew  that  he  wanted  to  be 
alone  with  you  at  the  last.  So  we  denied  ourselves  the 
pleasure. 

I think  of  him  as  I then  saw  him — the  last  time, 
it  proved  to  be.  I knew  you  carried  his  heart  with 
you,  and  I watched  with  much  interest  your  two  lives 
(as  much  as  I could  know  of  them)  until  Dr.  Hall 
followed  you  across  the  wide  continent  and  wider 
seas  to  make  you  his  wife.  It  was  a pretty,  romantic 
story. 

. The  end  came  soon ; but,  dear  friend,  you  have  the 
fragrant  memories,  you  have  your  darling  little  boy, 
and  I trust  the  little  one  to  come  so  soon  may  be 
the  dearest  treasure  of  your  life.  Please  God,  may 
your  motherhood  be  a crown  of  inexpressible  wealth  to 
you,  as  mine  was  and  is  to  me,  for  surely  my  darling 
little  girl  must  be  forever  mine. 

Believe  me  yOur  sympathetic,  loving  friend, 

C.  B.  Dickinson. 


377 


New  York,  December  12,  1894. 

Mv  Dear  Friend  : It  seems  as  if  there  must  be 
some  mistake — that  letters  yet  to  be  received  will  deny 
the  message  of  the  cablegram  that  struck  such  conster- 
nation to  our  hearts.  It  seems  impossible  that  our  be- 
loved Dr.  Hall  could  so  soon  be  called  away — and 
called  from  a post  where  his  services  seemed  so  indis- 
pensable. 

When  Mrs.  Bishop  Thoburn  lost  her  third  and  al- 
most idolized  child — the  one  she  called  Grace,  because, 
in  a sense,  a special  grace  bestowed — she  wrote  on  her 
memorial  cards,  “Accepted  for  higher  service.”  Surely 
your  husband  has  only  been  promoted.  The  earth 
could  illy  spare  him  ; but  heaven  has  some  service  for 
which  he  was  ripe. 

I don’t  write  empty  words  ; Dr.  Hall  was  a beloved 
brother  and  friend  ; we  truly  loved  him,  and  he  knew 
and  loved  us.  Our  hearts  are  tortured  by  the  fact  that 
we  allowed  affairs  to  prevent  our  writing  more  fre- 
quently. Then  I write  from  a heart  mellowed  by  experi- 
ence of  sorrow  and  bereavement. 

On  the  very  day  that  the  cablegram  reached  New 
York,  and  possibly  the  day  your  husband  passed  away 
— December  i — our  precious  little  boy  went  into  the 
better  country.  We  went  home  very  unexpectedly,  not 
knowing  an  hour  before  that  we  would  go.  We  went  to 
celebrate  the  tenth  anniversary-  of  our  wedding  with 
joyous  festivities,  but  our  heavenly  Father  meant  we 
should  have  the  support  and  comfort  of  home  and  home 
friends  while  we  watched  over  the  terrible  suffering  of 
our  brave  little  boy.  He  was  two  years  and  three  months 
old,  but  very  large,  robust,  and  vigorous,  and  when  we 
left  New  York  was  apparently  perfectly  well.  He  was 
sick  when  we  reached  Wheeling  next  day,  and  never 
48 


378 


rallied,  but  died  five  days  after  of  diphtheretic  croup. 
We  miss  him  terribly;  our  hearts  are  sore;  but  God 
has  wonderfully  sustained  us,  and  we  know  He  has  not 
failed  you  in  your  far  sorer  bereavement. 

I fear  you  were  denied  even  the  sad  solace  of  minis- 
tering to  your  husband  in  his  illness. 

I thank  God  that  he  gave  me  strength  to  minister  to 
my  dying  child,  to  comfort  him  by  my  voice ; and 
“ like  as  a mother  comforteth  her'children,  so  the  Lord 
comforteth  me.” 

Mrs.  Crane  has  just  come  in  to  see  us.  Her  home  is 
now  up  the  Hudson,  and  I seldom  see  her.  She  had 
not  heard  of  your  bereavement,  and  sincerely  mourns 
with’ you.  I have  been  busy  to-day  and  yesterday  review- 
ing manuscript  for  Dr.  Stone’s  paper,  and  have  been 
reading  again  Dr.  Hall’s  last  letters.  How  nobly  he 
fought  his  battles  ! Surely  it  is  a comfort  to  you  that 
he  fell  at  his  post.  The  Lord  sustain  and  comfort  you ! 
I have  tested  and  proved  His  ability.  “ God  is  able 
to  make  all  grace  abound  toward  you ; that  ye,  always 
having  all  sufficiency  in  all  things,  may  abound  to  every 
good  work.” 

Yours  in  sincerest  sorrow  and  love, 

Kate  E.  Stone. 

Sydenham,  December  13,  1894. 

My  Dear  Sister:  Tlie  papers  report  the,  to  me, 
very  sad  news  of  your  dear  husband’s  death.  I can 
scarcely  believe  it  to  be  true.  How  glad  I am  that  he 
called  to  see  me  on  his  way  to  Korea,  and  though  he 
had  only  a little  while  to  stay  I cannot  tell  you  how 
highly  I prized  his  visit.  How  hopeful  he  was  for  the 
future;  how  full  of  plans  for  his  Master,  Jesus!  It  can 
scarcely  seem  possible  that  in  about  three  years  from  the 


379 


time  I bade  him  good-bye  and  wished  him  Godspeed  on 
his  mission  he  has  been  taken  from  his  work.  Yet  it  is  so. 

‘^God  moves  in  a mysterious  way.”  I wish  I could 
see  you  and  sympathize  with  you  in  your  sore  bereave- 
ment. I know  that  words,  and  especially  written  words, 
have  but  little  power  to  heal  sucli  wounds  as  yours  must 
be,  yet  I am  sure  you  will  permit  me  thus  to  express 
my  sympathy  with  and  to  assure  you  of  my  prayers  for 
you  in  this  the  heaviest  trial,  no  doubt,  of  your  life. 
How  often  I think  of  the  times  your  dear  husband 
and  I have  spent  together.  I recollect  well  when 
he  consecrated  himself  fully  to  the  service  of  his  God, 
and  how  ever  after  he  seemed  to  have  only  one  aim. 
And  now,  after  so  short  a life,  just  when  he  was,  as  we 
see  things,  being  fitted  for  successful  work  in  the  foreign 
field,  to  be  taken  away.  However,  we  must  think  of 
him  not  as  dead.  He  lives  as  he  never  lived  before. 
He  lives  to  die  no  more.  He  lives  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  the  Master  whom  he  loved  and  whom  he  de- 
lighted to  serve.  Let  it  be  ours  to  follow  him  as  lie  fol- 
lowed Christ.  I shall  regard  my  acquaintance  with  him 
as  among  the  brightest  and  dearest  reminiscences  of  the 
past,  and  shall  look  forward  to  a blessed  and  happy  re- 
union in  a better  world.  Heaven  will  be  all  the  nearer 
and  dearer  to  me  because  my  beloved  friend,  Dr.  Hall, 
is  there.  I will  be  greatly  obliged  if  you  will  furnish 
me  with  any  particulars  of  his  life  and  labors  and  death 
in  Korea  that  will  be  suitable  for  publication  in  the 
columns  of  our  Church  paper,  TJie  Christian  Guardian, 
for  I think  that  his  name — the  name  of  one  of  our 
Canadian  boys  who  was  so  widely  known  and  so 
greatly  honored,  should  have  a place  among  the 
names  of  our  honored  dead.  And  though  it  will  be 
to  me  a painful  task,  and  I do  not  think  myself 


38o 


at  all  competent  for  the  work,  yet  I believe  no  one  will 
do  it  with  truer  affection  for  the  departed.  And  I know 
had  he  been  consulted  in  the  matter  there  isn’t  one 
among  his  Canadian  friends  whom  he  would  rather  have 
pay  such  a tribute  to  his  memory.  Again  assuring  you 
of  my  deep  sympathy  for  yon,  and  praying  that  God 
may  abundantly  bless  you  and  your  dear  little  one,  I 
remain  Yours  in  Jesus, 

D.  Winter. 

Mrs.  W.  J.  Hall,  ^I.D.,  Korea. 

Port  Simpson,  B.  C.,  March  20,  1895. 
Mrs.  Rosetta  Sherwood  HaLl,  M.D. 

Dear  Sister  in  Christ  : When  the  first  shock  of 
hearing  of  the  departure  of  my  Christian  friend,  Dr. 
Hall,  had  passed  over  my  mind  reverted  to  your  grief, 
and  my  next  thought  was  to  write  you  immediately,  but 
the  mail  steamer  was  off  again  before  I could  get  at  it. 
And  now  we  soon  expect  another.  Bare  words  would 
not  express  my  sorrow  in  learning  that  Dr.  Hall  had 
been  so  early  and  so  suddenly  taken  from  his  work  and 
his  home.  Neither  can  I adequately  express  my  sym- 
pathy with  you  in  your  sorrow.  But  as  far  as  human 
sympathv  can  go  you  may  be  assured  that  Mrs.  Bolton 
and  I feel  for  you,  and  ask  that  He  who  can  sympathize 
and  soothe  and  cheer  may  be  very  present  to  sustain 
and  help  you.  You  will  have  known  from  Dr.  Hall 
something  of  our  intimacy  in  school  and  college  life. 
Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  and  city  mission 
work,  and  in  preparing  for  our  chosen  field.  To  know 
Dr.  Hall  was  to  love  him,  especially  to  anyone  who 
could  appreciate  a pure,  devoted,  selt-sacrific.ing,  phil- 
anthropic character  such  as  he  possessed. 

Never  since  we  mourned  together  in  New  \ ork  over 


38 


the  death  of  our  mutual  friend,  Will  Crummy,  has 
such  news  affected  me  so  much,  and,  as  in  that  case,  so 
now,  we  feel  like  looking  up  and  asking.  Why  is  it  ? The 
answer  comes,  “What  I do  tliou  knowest  not  now,  but 
thou  shalt  know  hereafter.”  And  we  must  say,  “ Even 
so.  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  Thy  sight.” 

Last  fall  I had  the  privilege  of  a visit  east,  attending 
General  Conference.  I spent  two  weeks  in  New  York 
and  a few  days  in  Kingston,  and  scenes  and  faces  in 
these  cities  brought  to  mind  much  of  our  association  in 
college  days. 

Your  late  husband  and  W.  J.  Crummy  were  intimate 
friends  and  active  Christians  when  1 first  met  them. 
My  first  week  at  High  School  I attended  the  weekly 
prayer  meeting  in  the  Methodist  church,  and  offered 
my  humble  prayer  and  testimony — which  was  enough 
to  attract  Brothers  Hall  and  Crummy,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  meeting,  with  hearty  hand  grasp  and  sincere  wel- 
come they  received  me  into  their  hearts  and  circle. 
The  following  Monday  evening  I attended  my  first 
prayer  meeting  with  other  boy  students,  held  as 
usual  in  the  rooms  of  one  of  the  number.  Hall  was 
there,  and  Hartwell  (now  Rev.  S.  Hartwell,  B.A.,  B.D.,  of 
the  Chen-tu  Mission)  ; they  were  attending  the  model 
school.  Crummy  and  Hayes  and  others  were  there 
from  the  High  School  ; Kilborn  was  then  entering  his 
first  year  at  Queen’s,  Kingston,  It  was  a little  surprise 
to  me  to  see  those  boys  sit  round  and  give  their  practi- 
cal experiences  in  everyday  language.  I wanted  to 
stand  up  and  use  set  phrases,  as  I had  always  done  in 
the  class  meetings  in  the  old  county  schoolhouse. 

Many  of  us  who  were  already  Christians  were  greatly 
helped  in  those  days  to  a better  experience  and  more 
active  service  by  the  counsel  and  example  of  W,  J,  Hall. 


382 


While  still  at  the  High  School  I would  laugh  at  him  for 
saying,  “ I expect  to  see  you  in  the  pulpit  yet,  Albert.” 
Like  himself  I looked  forward  to  the  life  of  a Christian 
physician  full  of  privilege  to  do  good,  but  never  thought 
I would  be  called  to  preach.  I preceded  him  one  year 
at  Kingston;  then  we  were  two  years  there  together. 
During  our  last  session  there  Mr.  Forman  visited  the 
college  in  the  interest  of  the  Students’ Volunteer  move- 
ment. With  many  others  Hall,  Kilborn,  and  my.self 
offered.  It  came  to  us  all  gradually.  I remember  Kil- 
born saying  that  he  hoped  some  day  to  support  a foreign 
missionary  when  he  became  established  in  practice. 
Then  he  and  I said  what  a grand  thing  it  would  be 
if  we  two  could  send  out  and  support  our  friend  Hall, 
whom  we  considered  fully  worthy  of  the  work.  But 
we  all  liad  to  lay  ourselves  on  the  altar,  and  in  due 
time  the  Lord  led  us  each  to  the  place  he  had  pre- 
pared for  us. 

I noticed  lately  in  The  Christian  Guardian  a memorial 
notice  of  the  late  Dr.  ^McPherson,  of  Prescott,  Ont. 
He  came  to  Kingston  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  Dr. 
Hall  was  entering  his  second  year  at  college,  and 
through  his  instrumentality  was  converted.  He  has 
now  gone  to  meet  him — another  star  in  his  crown.  I 
might  think  of  others  if  I could  take  time.  I knew 
your  late  husband,  and  think  of  him  as  preeminently 
a soul-winner  in  the  true  apostolic  succession,  whose 
counterpart  I have  yet  to  see  on  this  earth.  He  was 
always  about  his  Master’s  business.  His  very  face  spoke 
his  mind,  his  hand  emphasized  it,  and  anyone  would 
know  his  whole  heart  was  occupied. 

I have  read  from  time  to  time  with  much  interest  of 
the  good  work  done  by  you  and  your  husband  among 
the  Koreans.  We  are  doing  a humble  work  here  in  the 


383 

same  line,  and  not  altogether  without  evidences  of 
divine  approbation. 

Again  assuring  you  of  our  deepest  sympathy,  and 
wishing  you  and  the  dear  little  boy  all  earthly  blessings, 
and  in  the  end  a happy  reunion  with  the  one  gone  be- 
fore, I am 

Yours  sincerely  for  Christ  and  humanity, 

A.  E.  Bolton. 

“ Unless  the  Lord  had  been  my  help,  my  soul  had  almost  dwelt 
in  silence.” 

Chen-tu,  China,  February  12,  1895. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  : The  sad,  sad  news  has  just  ar- 
rived of  your  dear  husband’s  death.  The  mission  field 
has  lost  an  earnest  worker,  you  have  lost  a loving  hus- 
band, your  little  son  has  lost  a noble  father,  and  we, 
his  companions  for  so  many  years,  have  lost  a most 
invaluable  friend  and  adviser.  What  earth  has  lost 
heaven  has  found.  Heaven  seems  more  real  now  than  it 
ever  did  before. 

Your  beloved  husband  was,  perhaps,  my  best  earthly 
friend,  and  I am  more  indebted  to  him  for  my  present 
position  than  to  any  other  person.  My  deepest  sym- 
pathy goes  out  for  you,  and  my  prayer  is  that  God  will 
give  you  daily  grace  and  support  you  and  your  son  in 
His  everlasting  arms. 

Mrs.  Hartwell  joins  with  me  in  sending  our  deepest 
sympathy  and  love. 

Believe  us  ever  your  very  sincere  friends, 

George  E.  Hartwell  and  Wife. 

Kiating,  Sz-Chuan,  China,  February  2,  1895. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall  ; My  heart  is  full  as  I attempt 
to  write  you  a line.  O,  may  the  everlasting  arms  be 


384 


round  and  about  you  and  clasp  you  tight  at  this  time  ! 
But  who  can  say  a word  to  soften  your  grief?  And  yet 
I know,  if  anyone  on  earth  does,  what  you  are  passing 
through  ; for  I,  too,  have  been  through  the  fire.  O, 
may  your  faith  be  strong  and  your  confidence  in  our 
loving  Saviour  all  unmoved.  He  knows  it  all.  “ He  is 
too  wise  to  err,  and  too  good  to  be  unkind.”  Our  dear 
Jimmy  (as  I always  called  him)  is  in  glory,  and  we  all 
know  his  crown  is  bright  with  many  jewels.  How  many 
he  is  greeting  and  will  greet  in  the  future  who  will  say 
to  him,  “ By  your  help  I was  led  from  darkness  into 
light.” 

Last  evening  I wrote  and  sealed  a letter  to  him  in 
answer  to  his  circular  letter  of  October  8 — the  one  to 
which  you  had  added  a note.  An  hour  ago  I received 
the  Celestial  Empire^  of  Shanghai,  bearing  date  Decem- 
ber 28,  with  the  letter  from  Soul  announcing  Jimmy’s 
death.  The  mail  does  not  go  till  to-night,  so  I send  this 
in  place  of  the  first. 

When  you  can  do  so  may  I ask  from  you  some  ac- 
count of  his  last  illness  and  of  his  death  ? 

I know  his  was  a glorious  and  abundant  entrance.  O, 
how  often  Jimmy’s  example  comes  up  before  me  in  my 
daily  routine  of  duties  to  stimulate  and  strengthen  me 
in  the  path!  And  I am  sure  there  are  scores — yes,  hun- 
dreds of  others — who  ever  came  to  know  him  well — 
who  would  say  the  same  thing.  Bright  is  his  crown. 

I don’t  know  when  I have  received  such  a shock  as 
when  I opened  that  paper  an  hour  ago. 

But  I cannot  write  more.  My  heart  goes  out  in  the 
very  deepest  sympathy  for  you  and  your  little  fatherless 
one,  and  you  have  my  earnest  prayer. 

Yours  in  common  sorrow, 

Omar  L.  Kilborn. 


385 

New  York,  April  3,  1895. 

Mrs.  R.  S.  Hall. 

Dear  Sister  : I extend  to  you  my  deepest  sympathy 
in  the  terrible  loss  to  which  you  have  been  subjected. 
Your  husband  was  a great  worker  and  fell  a martyr  to 
the  cause. 

When  you  come  to  New  York,  please  come  and  see 
me.  ■ Yours  faithfully, 

C.  C.  McCabe, 

Dear  Rosetta  : The  cable  has  brought  the  sad  news 
of  your  great  loss. 

We  have  no  particulars,  only  the  fact,  and  that  Dr. 
Hall  contracted  typhus  fever  in  working  at  Pyong 
Yang.  Unselfish  work  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Master. 

We  cannot  understand  why  one  so  useful  should  be 
taken  away  ; but  he  was  fully  consecrated  to  God,  and  we 
know  that  the  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away, 
and  we  will  try  to  say,  “ Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.” 
I know  there  is  little  comfort  in  human  words  or  sym- 
pathy in  such  an  hour,  and  I only  write  to  assure  you 
of  my  love,  and  to  offer  any  service  that  you  may  need 
from  a friend.  Is  there  any  plan  in  which  I can  help 
you  or  your  little  one  ? If  so,  let  me  know,  and  I will 
gladly  do  my  utmost.  God  bless  you  and  save  you  in 
this  hour  of  trial.  Lovingly  yours, 

Mrs.  H.  B.  Skidmore. 

New  York,  Dece7uber  4,  1894. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Hall:  Most  sincerely  do  I sympa- 
thize with  you  in  your  great  affliction,  of  which  I have 
just  learned. 

I pray  that  God’s  blessed  comfort  may  be  equal  to 
all  your  need,  and  that  He  will  graciously  open  your 
future  before  you. 

49 


386 


I hope  you  will  be  able  to  stay  in  Korea  and  do 
valiant  work  for  the  Master  in  the  field  consecrated  bv 
your  dear  husband’s  life  and  death. 

Sorrowing  with  you,  sincerely  yours, 

S.  L.  Baldwin^ 

Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  December  8,  1894. 

Mv  Dear  Sister  Hall  : You  cannot  tell  with  what 
surprise  and  sorrow  I read  the  notice  in  the  paper  of  the 
death  of  your  dear  husband.  He  had  a very  warm  place 
in  my  heart.  I admired  him  for  his  heroic  spirit  of  self- 
sacrifice  and  his  dauntless  courage,  and  I loved  him  for 
his  sweet  Christian  spirit.  I shall  ever  hold  his  memorv 
precious.  It  is  so  strange  he  should  be  taken  when  he 
was  more  needed  and  more  able  to  serve  humanity 
than  ever  before.  But  we  may  not  reason,  we  can  only 
trust. 

I assure  you  of  my  profoundest  sympathy  and  my  con- 
stant prayers.  Ever  truly  yours, 

W.  F.  ISIallalieu. 

New  York,  November  18,  1895. 

Dear  Brother  Noble  : Dear  Brother  Hall  was  an 
ideal  missionary.  Fitted,  prepared,  dedicated,  and  con- 
secrated, he  was  a man  among  men,  and  I being  asso- 
ciated very  closely  with  him  and  very  delightfully  in 
peculiar  mission  work  in  this  city,  and  knowing  his 
great  value,  earnestly  commended  him  to  the  ^Methodist 
Episcopal  Missionary  Board,  and  he  was  by  them  ac- 
cepted and  sent.  He  lived  long  enough  to  delight  my 
heart  in  his  wonderful  and  blessed  work,  and  then  w’as 
not,  for  God  took  him. 

He  was  so  true,  so  sweet,  simple,  and  strong,  so  un- 
selfish that  the  zeal  of  God’s  work  ate  him  up,  and  while 


387 


it  seems  so  mysterious  that  such  a prepared  worker  so 
needed  and  appreciated  -should  be  so  suddenly  and 
sadly  removed,  yet  it  is  the  Lord,  and  we  trust,  though 
we  cannot  trace  and  know.  He  doeth  all  things  well.  My 
sympathy  and  condolence  to  his  bereaved  widow,  to  the 
Mission  Board,  and  to  you  his  coworker,  brother,  and 
friend.  Stephen  ^Merritt. 

W.  A.  Noble,  Madison,  N.  J.,  “Drew.” 

Evangelist  Kim’s  Letter. 

Translated  by  Esther  Kim  Pak. 

PvONG  Yang,  17///  day  of  the  ^th  Moon. 

Mv  Dear  Doctor  Lady  Hall  : Last  year  I sent 
you  a letter,  and  I waited  to  receive  the  answer,  and  it 
came  this  year  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  fifth  moon,  and  I 
was  very  glad,  and  felt  as  if  you  were  present.  Although 
we  don’t  hear  from  each  other  often,  I think  about  you 
and  the  children  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pak,  and  I often 
take  you  in  prayer  to  our  Father,  and  I know  you  will 
pray  for  us  Korean  Christians.  So,  although  our  bodies 
are  in  different  countries,  our  hearts  are  in  the  Saviour’s 
kingdom. 

Once  Jesus  took  Peter,  John,  and  James  upon  arnoun- 
tain,  and  they  saw  Moses  and  Elias  there,  and  heard 
them  talk  of  the  crucifixion.  I think  I feel  as  they  did 
every  time  I think  about  our  loving  Dr.  Hall.  I feel 
that  Jesus,  Dr.  Hall,  and  myself  are  on  the  mountain. 

It  was  four  years  ago  that  Dr.  Hall,  Mr.  No,  and  my- 
self were  on  our  way  to  bring  the  glad  tidings  of  our 
Saviour  to  the  people  of  Pyong  Yang.  On  the  way,  we 
were  talking  about  the  Pyong  Yang  people  being  so 
wicked,  and  he  counseled  us  that  with  our  whole  heart 
and  with  our  whole  mind  we  three  must  help  and  teach 
this  people  who  do  not  know  how  to  serve  the  Lord, 


388 


and  we  must  build  the  Church  of  God  here  upon  the 
Rock  Christ  Jesus;  and  he  said  after  we  have  finished 
our  work  we  will  go  before  our  Father’s  throne,  and 
live  with  him  in  glory  forever.  And  we  arrived  at 
Pyong  Yang  and  started  to  preach,  and  to  treat  the 
sick  body  as  well  as  the  sin-sick  soul.  Many  of  the 
wicked  people  there  disliked  this  man  of  righteousness 
and  persecuted  him,  but  he  never  paid  any  attention  to 
them  ; he  preached  morning  and  night,  and  helped  the 
people  suffering  from  sin  and  sickness.  It  was  not  long 
before  a few  earnest  followers  gathered  about  him,  and 
even  to  this  day  we  all  remember  the  faithful  teaching 
that  came  out  from  his  mouth  and  his  hands  ; and  al- 
though he  has  parted  from  this  world,  we  will  carry  on 
this  work  which  he  showed  us,  and  taught  us  and  pre- 
pared us  for,  and  after  we  have  finished  we  hope  to  be 
together  again  with  him  in  our  everlasting  home. 

1 remember  every  time  Dr,  Hall  met  anyone  on  the 
street  or  in  the  house,  he  asked  them  one  very  impor- 
tant question  ; that  is,  “ Brother,  do  you  know  God  ? ” 
and  then  he  would  explain  who  God  is,  and  tell  them 
what  God  had  done  for  them  ; that  He  created,  fed, 
protected,  and  loved  them,  and  had  sent  His  only  Son 
Jesus  to  teach  them  the  way  to  heaven.  Then  he  would 
point  out  two  ways  of  going — one  into  life,  the  other  to 
death — and  asked  them  which  way  they  would  like  to 
go  ? And  all  the  people  were  surprised,  and  they  would 
return  to  their  homes  and  talk  about  his  beautiful  teach- 
ing, and  about  how  kind  and  loving  he  was.  Even  till 
now  they  say,  “ Dr.  Hall  loved  us  on  earth,  therefore  he 
will  love  us  more  in  heaven.” 

I will  speak  about  our  severe  persecution  in  Pyong 
Yang  ; how  when  O Syok-hyong  and  myself  were  in 
])iison  the  doctor  would  come  and  lay  his  kind,  loving 


389 


hands  upon  us  and  comfort  us  with  his  warm,  loving 
heart.  Yi  Hang-syon  bravely  accompanied  Dr.  Hall, 
and  sometimes  Kim  Chai-syon.  O what  a comfort 
they  were  to  us!  The  doctor  looked  tired  and  weary 
walking  up  and  down  from  his  home  to  the  prison,  and 
from  the  prison  to  the  telegraph  office  to  try  to  get  us 
relief.  We  can  never  forget  his  tenderness  and  love 
for  us  while  we  were  in  prison. 

Kim  Nak-syon  and  Cho  Pyong-yo  the  doctor  often 
took  with  him  on  his  walks,  and  sat  down  by  them  and 
taught  them.  When  Dr.  Hall  baptized  Cho  Tong-syon 
and  Chu  Kyom  Cho  he  taught  them  a beautiful  verse 
from  the  Bible,  which  they  always  think  about  when 
they  think  of  Dr.  Hall.  Whang  Chyong-rno  went  up  to 
Soul  while  the  war  was  in  Pyong  Yang,  and  Dr.  Hall 
comforted  and  encouraged  him  greatly  ; and  there  is  Cho 
Han-kyn — the  doctor  cured  his  eyes  ; and  Ku  Eung-syo 
and  others  I might  mention  whom  the  doctor  taught 
to  believe  in  Jesus.  These  are  all  faithful  Christians, 
and  they  help  to  carry  on  Dr.  Hall’s  work,  and  there 
are  very  many  new  members,  and  they  are  increasing 
every  day.  This  is  all  the  fruit  of  the  church  that 
Dr.  Hall  established  here  in  the  midst  of  so  much  per- 
secution. 

For  two  years  after  Dr.  Hall  left  us  we  had  no 
American  preacher  to  encourage  and  help  us,  but  we  re- 
membered our  dear  Dr.  Hall’s  teachings,  and  we  studied 
the  Bible  and  prayed  every  day  with  the  people,  and 
the  work  grew  faster  and  faster.  Now  Dr.  Follwell  is 
here,  and  Mr.  Noble  is  coming,  and  we  hope  also  to 
have  Mrs.  Hall  with  us  again. 


Kim  Chang  Si-key. 


390 


Chu  Kyom-Cho  writes:  “The  church  at  Ah  Yong 
Tong,  Pyong  Yang,  will  never  forget  the  faithful  teach- 
ing of  Dr.  Hall.  It  remains  in  our  hearts,  although 
we  cannot  see  Dr.  Hall,  and  we  praise  God  for  his 
example.” 

Kim  Chai  Son  adds  : “ Dr.  Hall  was  a good  gentle- 
man, therefore  I wish  to  write  a few  lines  of  his  work 
in  Pyong  Yang.  He  had  a remarkably  unchangeable, 
loving  heart  for  old  people  and  children.  Dr.  Follwell 
tells  us  it  was  just  the  same  when  Dr.  Hall  was  in  his 
own  country. 

“ When  our  brothers,  Kim  Chang  Si-key  and  O Syok- 
hyong,  were  in  prison.  Dr.  Hall  sympathized  with  them 
truly.  It  was  very  hard  for  him  to  see  his  loving  friends 
in  pain  and  suffering.  He  was  in  great  danger  himself 
and  tired  and  weary,  but  he  often  visited  them,  and 
finally  secured  their  release;  and,  also,  when  Pak  You- 
san  was  beaten  and  ordered  off  to  prison  he  rescued 
him,  and  comforted  him  with  loving  words. 

“ Even  people  who  do  not  belong  to  our  church  yet 
speak  of  how  loving  he  was,  and  the  remembrance  of  his 
deeds  stimulates  us  church  members  to  live  better  lives 
on  this  earth.  We  avoid  the  works  of  the  flesh  spoken 
of  in  Gal.  v,  19-21,  and  we  seek  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit, 
verses  22  and  23,  and  we  hope  when  this  life  is  ended  to 
inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.” 

Dr.  Hall’s  Remarkable  Work  in  Pyong  Yang. 

Translated  from  the  Korean  by  Esther  Kim  Pak. 

Because  Dr.  Hall  was  born  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  was 
kind,  pitiful,  humble,  and  meek,  and  lived  a faithful, 
perfect  life  through  his  Saviour,  God  chose  him  to  do 
a remarkable  work  for  our  poor  people  in  Pyong  Yang. 
He  obeyed  God’s  command,  and  left  his  parents  and 


391 


brothers  and  sisters  and  friends  and  came  to  Korea, 
and  was  appointed  to  this  wicked  city  of  Pyong  Yang. 
It  is  the  nature  of  Pyong  Yang  people  to  throw  stones. 
They  worship  idols,  and  other  unnecessary  things  ; and 
they  don’t  know  how  to  help  one  another. 

When  Dr.  Hall  first  came  to  Pyong  Yang  the  gov- 
ernor and  the  people  hated  him,  and  it  was  hard  for  him 
to  make  a beginning  ; but  he  prayed  earnestly,  and  he 
went  around  the  city  and  healed  sickness,  and  he  taught 
the  children  to  love  him,  and  by  and  by  many  stony 
hearts  began  to  melt  down,  and  the  people  became 
more  friendly,  and  began  to  love  the  doctor  ; and  soon 
the  doctor  started  a school,  in  which  I had  the  honor 
to  be  teacher ; and  he  established  a little  chapel  with  a 
few  faithful  members.  Then  severe  persecution  sud- 
denly arose,  but  the  Lord’s  mighty  hand  saved  us. 

A few  months  after  the  persecution  ceased  the  war 
arrived  in  Pyong  Yang.  Chinese  and  Japanese  soldiers 
came,  and  most  of  the  people  of  the  city  ran  away.  But 
four  of  our  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  members 
stayed  at  the  little  chapel  and  prayed  night  and  day,  and 
though  the  flying  cartridges  were  like  pouring  rain  we 
were  kept  perfectly  safe. 

Two  weeks  after  the  battle  Dr.  Hall  came  down  to 
Pyong  Yang  from  Soul  to  see  if  we  were  living,  and 
when  he  found  us  safe  and  happy  his  heart  was  full  of 
joy.  He  was  much  pleased  with  us,  and  loved  us  more 
than  ever  ; and  he  taught  us,  and  he  went  around  the 
city  to  heal  the  wounded.  Amid  all  our  trouble,  we 
had  the  peace  of  God  in  us.  Even  till  to-day  the  four 
of  us  think  of  Dr.  Hall  and  how  much  he  loved  us  when 
he  was  on  earth ; and  all  of  our  men  and  children  want 
to  live  more  like  him.  Our  church  inside  the  west 
gate  is  built  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  it  will  not  receive 


39^ 


any  falling.  After  Dr.  Hall  was  separated  from  us 
Mrs.  Hall  and  their  only  son  went  to  America  ; but  we 
trust  she  will  return,  for  the  w’omen  of  Pyong  Yang  need 
her;  and,  also,  we  pray  earnestly  for  the  only  son  to 
grow  up  like  his  dear  father,  and  come  to  our  country 
and  take  up  his  father’s  work. 

O Svok-Hvong. 
From  ^Ir.  Yousan  C.  Pak. 

Translated  from  the  Korean  by  Mrs.  Pak. 

While  my  father  was  living  on  this  earth  he  was  a 
prominent  man  of  education,  and  he  tried  faithfully  to 
teach  me  in  our  country  home  in  Korea.  But  I often 
ran  away,  and  I let  the  devil  lead  me  into  all  kinds  of 
sins,  yet  I did  not  realize  it  at  the  time. 

Once  I ran  away  to  our  capital.  Soul,  and  a friend 
of  our  family  who  keeps  horses  to  hire  out,  seeing  I was 
so  fond  of  travel,  offered  to  let  me  go  to  take  care  of 
the  horses  upon  these  trips  into  the  country,  as  is  our 
custom  in  Korea.  I liked  this,  but  my  father  was  so 
grieved  about  my  being  a hostler  instead  of  an  educated 
gentleman,  he  was  ashamed  of  me,  and  he  worried 
about  me  and  sent  for  me  many  times  to  return,  but  I 
did  not. 

At  last  my  father’s  loving,  immortal  soul  departed 
from  his  mortal  body.  After  I had  buried  him  I again 
came  up  to  Soul,  and  took  up  the  same  work. 

In  the  fall  of  1892  I made  my  first  trip  with  a foreign 
gentleman.  It  was  Dr.  Hall,  and  I went  down  with  him 
to  Pyong  Yang.  When  I first  started  out  with  him  I had 
a little  fear,  but  he  was  so  gentle  and  had  such  a lov- 
ing voice  that  my  fear  soon  left,  and  it  proved  the  most 
delightful  journey  I had  ever  made. 

It  was  upon  this  trip  that  I first  learned  about  prayer. 


393 


At  the  close  of  each  day  we  would  stop  at  a Korean 
inn.  These  are  very  uncomfortable  as  compared  with 
American  inns,  yet  Dr.  Hall  enjoyed  all  for  our  Sa- 
viour’s sake.  Before  he  ate  his  supper,  tired  as  he  was. 
Dr.  Hall  would  always  pray  with  us  and  read  the  Bible, 
which  is  the  bread  of  life.  Sometimes  the  people  would 
laugh  and  mock,  and  the  owner  of  the  inn  would  ask, 
“Why  do  you  kneel  down  and  pray  before  you  eat  ” 
Dr.  Hall  would  then  explain  to  them.  Once  when  Dr. 
Hall  asked  one  of  the  boys  to  pray  he  began  to  laugh 
instead  of  to  pray,  and  so  he  prayed  himself;  when  he 
had  finished  he  asked  the  boy,  “Why  do  you  laugh 
Would  you  do  so  before  the  king  and  his  officers?” 
The  boy  answered,  “ No,”  and  the  doctor  said,  “Then 
why  do  you  laugh  before  our  Lord,  who  is  the  King  of 
kings?”  And  thus  he  taught  us  with  gentle  manners 
and  loving  words.  O,  he  was  so  sweet  and  pure  and 
filled  with  God’s  wondrous  love. 

Another  important  lesson  I learned  was  not  to  travel 
on  Sunday.  On  Saturday  evening  we  would  put  up  at 
an  inn  over  the  holy  Sabbath.  Everybody  would  ask 
why  he  did  not  go  on  his  journey  such  a fine  day;  then 
he  would  tell  them  about  how  God  made  heaven  and 
the  earth  and  every  thing,  and  rested  on  the  seventh  day 
and  blessed  it,  and  asked  us  to  keep  it  holy;  therefore 
we  should  rest  from  our  work  and  worship  God  with 
a thanksgiving  heart  this  day.  And  then  he  would 
tell  how  much  God  loved  the  world  and  gave  His  only 
Son  lo  die  for  us.  Then  he  would  ask  us  to  pray  with 
him.  Some  thought  there  was  no  use  of  praying,  yet 
more  than  half  would  kneel  down  and  pray. 

And  this  is  the  way  Dr.  Hall  scattered  the  precious 
seed  by  the  wayside,  and  I know  some  day  that  many 
of  the  individuals  that  received  his  teaching  will  become 
50 


394 


\ 

followers  of  our  Christ.  It  was  thus  that  I became  in- 
terested in  the  Bible  and  desired  to  learn  more  about 
my  Saviour.  O,  how  willing  Dr.  Hall  was  to  help  those 
in  need,  either  spiritually  or  temporally.  I can’t  begin 
to  tell  all  he  did  for  me. 

One  time  after  we  came  up  to  Soul  he  told  me  to  come 
and  see  him.  This  I did,  and  he  asked  me,  “ Do  you 
love  God  in  your  heart  ? ” I told  him  yes,  I had  learned 
to  do  so  while  with  him.  And  then  he  wanted  to  know 
what  he  could  do  to  help  me,  and  I chose  to  stay  with 
him,  and  helped  him  in  the  house  and  went  down  with 
him  to  Pyong  Yang  several  times.  Once  he  asked  me 
if  I didn’t  want  to  marry,  and  1 promptly  answered  I 
did.  He  asked  me  what  kind  of  a bride  I preferred 
— one  who  worked  faithfully  to  serve  God,  or  one  who 
could  only  cook  and  sew  well  for  me.  I told  him  I pre- 
ferred the  bride  that  could  work  for  the  Lord.  I sup- 
pose readers  of  this  will  think  it  very  strange  that  Dr. 
Hall  should  ask  me  these  questions,  but  in  our  country 
the  custom  is  that  we  cannot  choose  our  bride  our- 
selves, but  if  we  have  no  parents  some  friend  chooses 
for  us.  I hope  some  day  this  will  be  changed  in  Korea. 
But  in  this  way  I became  engaged  to  a young  lady  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  mission  school,  who  was  a very 
earnest  Christian.  The  more  I thought  of  this  matter 
the  more  determined  I was  to  become  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian man,  and  I repented  of  all  my  sins,  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  witnessed  in  my  heart  that  I was  no  more  Satan’s, 
but  I was  the  child  of  God. 

May  24,  1S93,  I was  married,  and  though  I did  not 
choose  my  own  bride  and  never  saw  her  before,  yet  I 
found  I had  a sweet,  loving,  faithful  wife.  She  read  the 
Bible  and  prayed  with  me,  and  has  taught  me  many  les- 
sons of  patience  and  self-denial. 


395 


As  others  have  told  so  much  about  Dr.  Hall  I will  not 
add  more,  but  I cannot  close  without  thanking  his  good 
wife  for  allowing  me  to  write  these  few  lines  to  put  in  his 
book. 

O how  much  I would  like  to  live  like  him.  I ask  the 
prayers  of  the  readers  of  this  book  that  I may  live  such 
a life  as  Dr.  Hall  did. 

Liberty,  N.  Y.,  August  i8,  1897. 

The  Story  of  Saint  Harak. 

Translated  from  the  Korean  by  Esther  Kim  Pak. 

In  1893  Mr.  Ohlinger  recommended  me  to  teach  the 
native  language  to  Dr.  Hall.  I asked,  “ How  can  I teach 
a stranger  from  another  country  ? ” But  Mr.  Ohlinger 
told  me  to  try,  and  at  once  introduced  me  to  Dr.  Hall. 
My  first  impression  of  him  was  that  he  was  tall,  and  did 
not  look  much  like  a scholar,  and  I did  not  think  much 
of  him  at  first  ; but  the  more  I became  acquainted  with 
him  and  saw  his  kind  ways,  I liked  him  better,  and  we 
became  very  good  friends — one  heart  and  one  mind. 

That  summer  the  weather  was  exceedingly  hot,  and 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  decided  to  go  for  a couple  of  weeks 
to  Puk  Han  (North  Fortress),  and  the  doctor  asked  me 
to  go  with  him.  We  spent  a pleasant  time,  studying 
most  of  the  day,  and  toward  evening  we  used  to  go 
around  and  see  the  sick  people  and  give  them  medicine, 
and  also  teach  the  Gospel  to  the  Buddhist  priests  that 
live  in  that  mountain.  Then  Mrs.  Hall  had  to  return 
to  her  work  in  Soul,  and  we  left  Puk  Han  and  went 
back  to  the  work  we  had  before/  In  the  morning  the 
doctor  studied  the  native  books  with  me,  and  in  the  af- 
ternoon he  saw  the  sick  people,  and  dressed  the  wounded 
at  the  hospital ; in  the  evening  he  went  to  the  South 
Gate  Dispensary  with  his  friend,  Dr.  Busteed,  and  my- 


396 


self,  and  we  took  bis  little  organ,  and  Dr.  Busteed 
played,  and  we  sang  a hymn.  Many  people  from  all 
parts  of  the  eight  provinces  go  past  this  place,  and 
they  heard  the  music  and  came  in;  sometimes  from  one 
to  two  hundred  came  in,  and  we  told  them'  about 
the  Saviour  that  redeems  us.  Yet  I never  saw  Dr. 
Hall  become  tired  doing  such  work.  There  is  no  one 
in  this  world  who  does  not  love  his  own  body;  but  this 
doctor  does  not  love  his  own  body  only,  he  loves  every- 
body. He  gives  medicine  and  money  to  the  poor,  and 
helps  them  to  bury  their  dead.  He  did  the  hardest  work 
among  all  the  preachers  who  came  from  America,  and 
he  did  it  all  with  his  whole  heart.  It  is  not  only  I that 
speak  well  of  him,  but  I write  what  I have  heard  our 
native  people  say,  as  well  as  what  I have  seen  with  my 
own  eyes.  He  was  always  doing  such  kind  work,  there- 
fore we  love  him. 

In  September  he  asked  me  if  I could  go  down  to 
Pyong  Yang  with  him,  and  I was  very  glad  to  go.  When 
we  reached  there  many  of  his  friends -came  to  see  him, 
because  he  had  been  there  before.  We  were  there  about 
seven  months  altogether,  and  during  that  period  we  had 
some  pleasant  times — and  some  that  were  not  so 
pleasant.  I cannot  well  write  everything  of  his  gener- 
ous work  in  Pyong  Yang,  as  I have  forgotten  ; but  I 
remember  one  day  very  well,  wlien  about  twenty  of  our 
neighbors  came  in  and  said,  “Our  Pyong  Yang  custom 
is,  every  year  each  house  gives  according  to  its  wealth 
to  the  offering  for  the  spirit  of  Pyong  Yang,  so  you  who 
are  from  Soul,  and  especially  that  gentleman  from  the 
West  [and  they  point  to  Dr.  Hall],  can  give  us  a lot  of 
money  to  offer  to  our  spirit,  then  he  will  keep  you  and 
help  you  on  your  journey,  and  bless  you  all  the  year 
round  ;”  and  they  asked  me  to  explain  this  matter  well 


397 


to  Dr.  Hall.  I knew  it  was  wrong  to  offer  money  to 
evil  spirits,  and  I told  them,  “People  who  serve  God  do 
not  give  money  to  this  spirit;”  bat  they  were  angry  with 
me,  and  said,  “You  do  not  have  to  give  the  money;  you 
just  simply  tell  that  gentleman  from  the  West,  as  we 
told  you.”  So  I did  so,  and  Dr.  Hall  said  to  tell  them, 
“ We  have  nothing  to  do  with  your  spirit,  and  we  will 
not  give  it  money,  for  we  worship  the  true,  living  God, 
who  made  us  and  you,  and  wants  yoiir  worship  too.” 
Then  they  were  very  angry,  and  they  all  went  out  ; but 
a few  minutes  after  they  rushed  in,  and  they  pulled  me 
down,  and  also  a young  boy  that  believed,  and  they  tore 
his  clothes  and  hurt  him  ; and  they  beat  me  with  their 
fists  and  kicked  me  with  their  feet;  and  they  said, 
“’This  is  not  our  work,  but  it  is  the  spirit  punishing 
you.”  When  they  were  through  beating  me  and  let  me 
go  I went  to  Dr.  Hall  and  told  him  what  had  happened, 
and  my  heart  was  very  angry.  He  tried  to  comfort  me, 
and  asked  me  if  I had  not  read  how  St.  Paul  was  beaten, 
but  I said  I did  not  care,  that  if  I continued  to  do  this 
Jesus  doctrine  my  body  would  not  last  long,  and  I did 
not  care  about  the  good  things  I would  get  after  I was 
dead,  and  I told  him  I would  return  to  Soul  at  once. 
Then  he  put  his  dear,  loving  arms  around  me  and  said, 
“ Let  us  pray,  brother,”  and  we  both  knelt  down,  and 
he  asked  me  to  pray  first,  but  I could  not  pray  with  my 
angry  heart,  so  he  prayed  for  me.  But  I couldn’t  get 
over  it  yet ; and  he  tried  still  to  comfort  me  with  such  a 
loving,  patient  heart.  After  a little  the  young  boy  that 
also  got  hurt  came  in,  and  Dr.  Hall  bound  up  his 
wounded  leg  and  paid  him  for  his  torn  clothes,  and  he 
told  us  he  was  so  sorry  we  were  persecuted  for  doing 
right.  After  all  this  I became  ashamed  of  myself,  and 
got  rid  of  my  angry  heart,  and  felt  a good  deal  happier. 


After  this  many  people  continued  to  crowd  around 
Dr.  Hall  like  flies  around  honey,  yet  at  night  the  stones 
would  sometimes  ny  like  rain  pouring,  and  we  felt  we 
were  sitting  out  upon  ice  in  the  river.  But  God  turned 
the  wicked  hearts  kinder  every  day,  and  we  were  pro- 
tected by  His  care. 

The  doctor  was  always  a friend  to  children.  Wher- 
ever he  went  many  children  followed  him  and  bothered 
him,  yet  he  loved  them.  Many  times  the  children  used 
to  pull  his  whiskers,  but  he  would  only  laugh  and  pet 
them.  One  day  I asked  him  why  he  let  the  children 
bother  him  so  much,  and  he  turned  to  me  and  said: 
“ Brother,  what  makes  you  so  cold  and  hard  ? The  Lord 
says  in  the  Bible  we  are  to  have  a child’s  faith  and 
heart,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.”  By  this, 
I perceived  that  his  faith  was  like  a child’s. 

]\Iany  of  the  town  people  used,  sometimes,  to  cry  out, 
“ Good  Saint  Harak  ; he  is  one  fit  for  the  kingdom  of 
God  ! ” So  when  I went  to  write  about  him  I called 
the  heading  of  mv  story  “ Saint  Harak.” 

P.  S.  No. 

Note. — “ Harak"  was  the  Chinese  name  for  Dr.  Hall  that  appeared  upon 
his  passport. 

Resolution. 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  call  home 
our  brother  and  fellow-missionary.  Dr.  W.  J.  Hall ; 

Resolved,  That  we  express  to  Mrs.  Hall  our  sincere 
sympathy  in  her  sore  bereavement,  and  that  we  further 
record  our  deep  sense  of  loss  to  our  work  in  the  taking 
away  of  our  brother  so  intimately  associated  with  us  in 
Soul,  and  especially  in  Pyong  Yang. 

It  is  also  our  desire  to  note  individually  and  as  a Mis- 
sion the  spiritual  benefit  which  we  have  derived  from 
our  association  with  a man  so  consecrated  to  the  Master. 


399 


Words  cannot  express  our  feelings,  but  in  this  feeble 
way  we  would  convey  to  you  the  sentiments  of  all  our 
Mission. 

( H.  G.  Underwood, 
Committee  G.  IvEE, 

( Susan  A.  Doty. 

Presbyterian  Mission,  Soul,  Korea,  29,  1894. 

Extracts  from  the  Official  Minutes  of  the  Tenth 
Session  of  the  Korea  Mission  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  : 

Whereas^  In  the  deep  and  mysterious  providence  of 
God,  Mrs.  Rosetta  Hall,  M.D.,  has  been  called  on  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  her  husband,  Rev.  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D., 
a brother  beloved  by  us  all,  and  in  consequence  has  re- 
turned to  the  United  States  ; 

Resolved^  That  we  again  assure  her  of  our  profound 
sympathy  with  her  in  her  bereavement,  that  we  record 
our  high  appreciation  of  the  worth,  zeal,  and  devotion 
in  her  labors  for  the  Koreans  while  among  us,  and  that 
we  indulge  the  hope  that  she  may  soon,  in  the  good 
providence  of  God,  be  brought  back  again  to  Korea  to 
continue  the  work  for  the  women  she  so  faithfully  and 
successfully  prosecuted. 

MEMORIAL  service. 

• It  was  moved  and  carried  that  a service  in  memory 
of  Dr.  W.  J.  Hall  be  made  the  special  order  for  Friday 
at  II  A.M.,and  that  Bishop  Ninde,  withW.  B.  Scranton 
and  H.  G.  Appenzeller,  be  a committee  to  prepare  a 
program  for  the  same. 

Friday,  January  18,  1895,  the  bishop  made  the  devo- 
tional exercises  of  the  morning  one  with  a memorial 


400 


service  to  our  sainted  Brother  Hall.  After  Scripture 
reading,  prayer,  and  singing,  H.  G.  Appenzeller  read  a 
memoir  prepared  by  the  committee  for  that  purpose. 
It  was  voted  to  spread  it  on  the  journal.  The  memoir 
is  as  follows  : 

REV.  WILLIAM  JAMES  HALL,  M.D. 

On  Saturday,  November  24,  1894,  there  passed  away 
from  earth  to  his  reward  in  heaven  one  who,  faithful  to 
the  last,  mid  changing  scenes,  mid  trials  and  perse- 
cutions of  a heathen  land,  remained  unshaken  in  his 
zeal  for  the  promotion  of  God’s  glory  among  people 
in  whose  hearts  the  Sun  of  righteousness  had  never 
shone. 

Dr.  William  James  Hall  was  the  first  adult  mission- 
ary of  the  Korea  ^Mission  of  the  ^Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  to  lay  down  his  life  for  the  work.  God  had 
work  for  him  elsewhere,  and  we  cannot  complain,  but 
say.  The  will  of  the  Lord  be'  done.  Among  the  band 
of  his  fellow-workers  he  was  one  of  the  most  energetic 
and  consecrated,  and  his  life,  like  that  of  the  Saviour’s 
while  on  earth,  was  spent  in  doing  good  to  others. 
Among  whomsoever  he  mingled  his  life  was  a rich  fra- 
grance of  consecration  and  devotion,  and  was  an  in- 
spiration, not  only  to  the  members  of  the  Mission,  but 
to  the  native  converts.  To  him  was  allotted  one  of  the 
most  difficult  fields,  and  in  fact  he  was  the  pioneer 
medical  niissionary  to  Pyong  Yang.  Notwithstanding 
this  fact  his  work  bore  early  fruits  of  a rich  harvest, 
and  although  he  is  gone  there  has  been  established  in 
that  wicked  city  of  heathendom  a work  which  will  go 
on  increasing  until  the  last  day. 

Dr.  Hall  was  preeminently  “a  good  man  and  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.”  His  goodness  was  not  of  the  effer- 


401 


vescent,  but  of  the  solid  and  normal  kind.  In  Pyong 
Yang  some  of  the  “ baser  sort  ” attempted  to  circum- 
vent or  overreach  him,  but  he  in  his  straightforward  and 
yet  simple  way  so  presented  the  truth  that  his  assailants 
confessed  that  though  they  came  to  abuse  his  goodness 
they  could  not  even  say  a word  against  him. 

At  the  eighth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Mission  Dr. 
Hall  was  appointed  by  Bishop  IMallalieu  to  the  province 
of  Pyong  Yang. 

He  entered  upon  his  work  with  great  enthusiasm. 
His  visits  during  the  first  year  gave  him  sufficient  foot- 
hold, and  property  was  purchased.  For  this  purpose 
over  ^1,500  was  raised  by  his  own  individual  effort. 
On  Christmas — probably  the  last  one  he  spent  on  earth 
—he  said  to  his  wife,  who  was  in  full  and  hearty  sym- 
pathy with  him  in  his  work,  “ Let  us  make  Pyong  Yang 
a Christmas  offering,”  and  one  hundred  yen  was  placed 
on  the  altar.  This  was  added  so  quietly  to  his  Pyong 
Yang  fund  that  hardly  anyone  knew  it  save  those  most 
intimate.  This  “ fund  ” Avas  administered  with  the  great- 
est care,  and  at  his  death  over  six  hundred  and  twenty 
yen  was  handed  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  Mission 
for  Dr.  Hall’s  successor  in  Pyong  Yang. 

His  last  year  in  the  field  was  a stormy  one.  In  the 
spring  of  1894  he  took  Mrs.  Hall  and  child  to  Pyong 
Yang.  Then  the  petty  persecution  to  which  we  are  more 
or  less  subjected  burst  forth  in  all  its  fury.  But  through 
it  all  he  had  unfailing  trust  in  God. 

His  last  summer  Avas^  spent  in  the  Soul  hospital  here. 
He  loved  the  hospital  Avith  all  the  love  of  his  great  soul. 
On  October  i he  left  for  Pyong  Yang  to  strengthen  and 
comfort  the  brethren  there.  The  little  company  was 
most  glad  to  see  him.  On  October  17  he  Avrote  to 
the  superintendent;  “I  rejoice  Ave  came  Avhen  Ave  did. 

51 


402 


The  hymns  of  praise  that  less  than  a year  ago,  when 
sung,  brought  cursing  and  stones  upon  us  from  the 
surrounding  neighborhood  are  now  listened  to  with 
delight.  It  makes  my  heart  rejoice  to  know  how  faith- 
ful our  Christians  have  been  under  such  trying  cir- 
cumstances. True  heroes  for  Christ,  praise  the  Lord! 
. . . My  patients  are  increasing  daily.  I have  several 
gunshot  wounds.  I use  my  bamboo  cot  for  a stretcher 
and  our  Christians  as  the  ambulance  staff.”  What  a 
true  and  beautiful  picture  of  a missionary’s  life.  He 
baptized  three  men  and  a boy  the  last  Sunday  he  was 
there. 

He  came  to  Chemulpo  in  a Japanese  transport. 
Either  on  board  or  before  he  contracted  typhus  fever; 
but  he  reached  Chemulpo,  where  Dr.  E.  B.  Landis,  of 
the  English  Church  Mission,  attended  him,  together  with 
Brother  and  Mrs.  Jones.  He  longed  to  get  to  his  home 
in  the  capital  to  see  his  wife  and  child.  Brothers  Mof- 
fett and  Tate,  of  the  Presbyterian  Missions,  North  and 
South,  who  were  his  companions  from  Pyong  Yang, 
accompanied  him  up  the  river  on  the  little  Japanese 
steamer.  The  Mission  is  under  a great  obligation  to 
these  dear  brethren  for  their  services  to  the  departed 
brother  at  this  time.  The  steamer  capsized — a delay  of 
thirty-six  hours  on  the  river  took  away  the  only  chance 
of  life  the  sick  man  had. 

He  reached  his  home  Monday  morning  a very  sick 
man.  Dr.  Busteed  was  at  once  summoned  ; other  phy- 
sicians came  in,  and  were  faithful  in  their  attentions. 
Brother  Noble,  a devoted  friend  of  the  dying  man,  was 
at  the  sickbed  receiving  final  instructions  about  tem- 
poral things. 

His  devoted  wife  never  left  his  side.  Life  ebbed  out 
slowly.  Saturday  morning  the  doctor  gave  up  hope  ; 


403 


speech  had  ceased  before,  and  at  six  in  the  evening  he 
passed  away. 


An  Address  of  Welcome  from  the  Members  of  the 
Glen  Buell  Methodist  Church  to  Mrs.  Ro- 
setta Sherwood  Hall,  M.D.,  Returned  Medi- 
cal Missionary  from  Korea,  Wife  of  the  late 
Rev.  W.  J.  Hall,  M.D. 

. Our  Esteemed  AND  Beloved  Sister:  The  occasion 
wliicli  has  brought  together  the  membe^^'of  this  church 
and  residents  of  this  and  adjoining  communities,  of  all 
shades  of  religious  opinion,  we  assure  you  to  be  one  of 
unusual  interest  to  us.  Some  weeks  ago  we  learned  of 
your  purpose  to  pay  these  parts  a visit.  These  have 
been  weeks  of  pleasurable  anticipation  to  us,  while  we 
have  not  forgotten  that  to  yourself  the  deep  waters  of  a 
continued  bereavement  were  being  passed  through.  We 
are  glad  and  thankful  that  in  the  good  providence  of 
our  God  your  way  has  been  opened  up  to  come  into 
our  midst. 

We  extend  these  words  of  greeting  to  you  on  your 
first  visit  as  one  big  family  because  we  feel  assured  of 
our  united  interest  in  all  your  movements. 

We  welcome  you  to  our  land  and  to  the  Methodist 
Church  in  Canada  because  we  feel  that,  while  a twin 
branch  of  beloved  Methodism  has  committed  to  you 
the  honored  legacy  of  pioneering  her  work  beyond  the 
seas,  and  among  peoples  whose  ears  have  never  heard 


“ Jesus  can  make  a dying  bed 
Feel  soft  as  downy  pillows  are. 


While  on  His  breast  I lean  my  head, 

And  breathe  my  life  out  sweetly  there.” 


404 


nor  hearts  been  warmed  by  the  glad  news  of  the  story 
of  Jesus,  her  triumphs  are  our  triumphs,  for  we  are  sis- 
ters nourished  on  the  lap  of  a common  mother. 

We  welcome  you  to  our  community  as  one  about 
whom  we  have  oft  conversed,  and  whose  ways,  for  rea- 
sons well  known,  we  have  watched  with  keenest  interest 
since  we  first  heard  of  you. 

We  welcome  you  to  our  homes.  They  are  plain  and 
simple,  but  if  you  would  accept  of  such  hospitalities  we 
would  be  pleased  to  have  you  at  our  tables  and  in  our 
family  midst — yourself  and  family  and  the  foreign 
brother  and  sister,  whom  we  are  glad  to  greet  as  trophies 
of  the  power  of  Jesus  to  save  in  other  tongues  and  lands 
than  ours. 

We  welcome  you  as  a returned  missionary.  The 
word  “ missionary  ” stirs  our  hearts,  but  much  more 
does  the  presence  of  one  whom  God  has  called  to  fol- 
low Him,  out  over  the  broad  sea  into  the  midst  of  a 
people  of  strange  beliefs,  strange  customs,  strange  attire 
— there  to  preach  His  name  and  live  the  life  of  the 
lowly  Nazarene.  With  an  experience  obtained  only 
from  looking  upon  those  whitened  fields,Vith  laborers 
far  from  abundant,  and  needs  the  home  Church  has  long 
disregarded — we  feel  sure  the  Lord  will  bless  you  in 
any  and  all  of  your  efforts  to  teach  us  our  duty  and  re- 
sponsibility as  individuals  to  the  great  work  of  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  world. 

But  we  welcome  you  far  from  least  of  all  for  a reason 
that  steals  a little  farther  into  our  hearts  as  the  beloved 
wife  of  one  whose  boyhood  scenes  and  associations 
were  these  streets  and  farms  and  neighborhoods,  and 
whose  name  is  to-day  far  and  near,  “ as  ointment  poured 
forth.”  When  he  had  equipped  himself  at  the  seats  of 
learning  for  his  life’s  work,  the  world  called  him  doctor. 


405 


but  the  people  of  these  communities,  for  some  subtle 
reason,  could  not  keep  pace  with  the  times.  He  was 
ours  still,  lent  to  the  world  and  to  the  Church  as  doctor, 
but  known  to  us  by  a far  more  familiar  name — a link 
that  still  binds,  an  association  never  to  be  broken,  a 
memory  to  be  continued  as  a fountain  of  sweet  waters. 
We  followed  his  steps  from  boyhood  lessons  in  the 
public  school  and  the  Sabbath  school  year  by  year,  as 
the  innocence  of  his  youth  and  the  purity  of  his  de- 
veloping manhood  began  to  reflect  themselves.  Words 
are  too  feeble  to  express  his  genial  manner,  his  kind- 
ness, his  sympathy  for  all,  and  above  all  his  unreserved 
consecration,  anywhere  and  everywhere,  to  the  work  of 
the  Master  he  loved.  In  all  our  hearts  he  has  planted 
Korea,  if  for  no  other  reason,  because  it  was  dear  to 
him.  Our  affections  followed  him  as  he  embarked 
hither  at  God’s  command  ; and  his  letters  breathed  the 
same  ardent  spirit  in  yonder  land,  and  for  yonder  dis- 
tant people,  as  we  had  seen  blossom  into  fragrance  in 
our  midst,  there  as  here  led  on,  guided  by  the  inspira- 
tion of  that  little  beacon  light  : 

“ O the  good  we  all  may  do, 

While  the  days  are  going  by.” 

But  while  he  liad  a mission  to  a foreign  people,  he 
still  felt  a mission  to  us  that  we  never  merited  and  feel 
unworthy  to  receive.  Being  absent,  he  would  still 
speak.  We  embrace  this  opportunity  of  making  this 
public  acknowledgment  of  a gift  to  the  homes  of  this 
community  made  some  time  ago — a library  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  volumes  of  the  choicest  soul-feeding 
literature.  This  came  unsolicited,  the  voice  of  a full 
heart,  a “library  of  love,”  an  investment  for  God  that 
we  pray  may  one  day  yield  an  abundant  interest. 


4o6 


It  pleases  us  to-night,  that  you  have  permitted  us 
this  occasion  to  give  expression  to  feelings  far  too  deep 
to  be  fully  told.  We  are  drawn  to  you,  if  for  no  other 
reason,  for  his  sake.  We  welcome  you  for  his  sake, 
our  interest  will  attend  all  your  future  steps  for  his  sake. 

To  all  the  mysterious  providences  of  the  last  year, 
it  behooves  us  as  creatures  who  walk  by  faith  to  confide 
in  these  certain  words,  “ He  doeth  all  things  well.” 
Not  an  event,  nor  a disappointment,  nor  a disposal  has 
taken  ]dace  that  crosses,  or  in  any  way  falls  athwart 
the  promises  of  our  God.  They  can  all  be  harmonized. 
The  day  is  not  done.  The  final  reckoning  is  not  yet 
completed.  Over  it  all  is  being  written,  with  the  same 
fingers  that  wrote  for  Moses  in  Sinai,  “ For  the  glory  of 
God,  for  Time  and  Eternity.”  We  feel  assured  that 
the  strongest  consolations  will  be  given  to  you  by  the 
Holy  Comforter,  to  keep  you  and  bless  you  in  your 
efforts  still  to  perform  your  humble  part  to  bring  the 
salvation  of  the  Gospel  to  the  land  of  Korea.  May  the 
Master  bless  the  brother  and  sister  whose  hearts  and 
confidences  you  have  won,  and  who  have  placed  their 
plans  and  lives  to  be  directed  as  the  way  shall  open 
up.  May  you  be  a comfort  and  a blessing  to  the  father 
and  mother  and  family  who  have  been  your  compan- 
ions in  passing  through  these  deep  waters. 

Permit  us  in  conclusion  to  express  the  hope  that 
your  visit  to  our  midst  may  be  a blessing  to  u>  all.  We 
hope  you  may  not  be  here  long  before  you  shall  fully 
prove  that  you  are  among  a people  who  have  no  mere 
transient  curiosity  to  gratify,  but  an  interest  that  seems 
to  us  as  deep  as  if  you  had  been  reared  among  us. 

Kindly  accept  these  few  words  of  welcome  from  this 
congregation  as  an  imperfect  expression  of  the  interest 
we  feel  in  you. 


■407 


..Signed, .on  behalf- the' members;  of  the  Glen  Buell 
'Methodist  Church.  ":.tirorr;r  r;  i . .'i  - 

jW.  F.^Perley,  Pastor.  . 

;v;</  • h 'H.  E.  Warren,  Assistant, 
iff  C..:iJ.  Gilroy.  : 

vjr  j Joseph  'Pouriss.  ' ••  , 

Irr^h^aid  ‘}inj  7;;£.fii-r'rv  l.uCY,  Gilroy.  ’ . 

■ r.  h ‘Gegelia’Dack.  ■ • ‘ . 

nbv/  r;v"S!;-ib -ii:.’ James  A...J^ee:  • • ‘ 

^!t,';GLEN jBuell',  Ontario,  Canada,  .Ji/Zy  31,  1895.. 

“'jd  if'.  f(i  it:.v  .0  I*';':  t ..h  •■: 

.A  Plea  for.  Korea’s, Evangelization. 

?>1K'CV’0>  :••>  'Kl-.  f . . . 

..Extract  from  The  Christian  Herald  of  December  4, 1895. 

T)  .sOil  .■  t ■••.../  vr 

^Those  w’hor  were,  interested  in.,  Dr.  Hall’s  work  at 
•Hyong  Yang,  Korea,  and,  khose  who  helped  him  in  raising 
thCj  nion^y  ^witb,. which  to  buy  .property  for  a hospital, 
mayj  be,, glad , to  kno>v^  that  after  securing  a fine  site, 
bpilding,  a,;  wajly  and.  rnaking  ^some  necessary  repairs, 
there  were  left  620  yen  ($310,  gold).  Dr.  Hall  intended 
tOj  ipake  this  the  pucleus  of  a fund  that  should  grow 
until  , sufficient  to  .construct  good  hospital  buildings  in 
the  placeiof  the  small  native  houses  now  in  use.  He 
had  hoped  to  be.,, ready  to  .begin  building  as  soon  as 
peacp  should, , be,  estabb^  and  he  looked 

forward  .with  much  pleasure  to  having  a hospital  in 
Pypng.,Yang,^cprriplete^,in  each  department.  The  last 
Christmas  that  he  sper\t  u}x>n  earth,  he  proposed  that 
we.sacrifice  the, ^pleasure  of  making  each  other  and  our 
fripnds^the  usual  gifts,  and  instead  make  our  Christmas 
offering  ,tp^Pyong  Yang.  , ..  ^ , . , ‘ , , . •!• 

Already , Korea  .has  stej)ped.  out  as  an  independent 
kingdoin  ' among  ^ the  nations,  and  she  will  soon  be 
making  long  strides  toward  modern  civilization.,  Dr. 
Strong  says,  in  The  A^cw  Era^  the  prospect  is  that  in  the 


4o8 


course  of  a few  generations  the  heathen  world  will  be- 
come either  Christian  or  agnostic—which  it  will;  be- 
come will  depend  upon  the  Church. 

What  can  be  done  to  make  heathen  Korea  Christian  ? 
No  greater  help  toward  this  end  can  be  given  than  to 
build  a Christian  hospital  in  Pyong  Yang.  This  city, 
the  ancient  capital  of  Korea,  contains  one  hundred 
thousand  people.  It  is  situated  upon  a large  and  beau- 
tiful river  in  a fine  agricultural  district  with  coal  fields 
and  great  metallic  w^ealth  in  its  .immediate  vicinity,  and 
it  is  bound  to  become  the  metropolis  of  Korea.  As  be- 
fore stated.  Dr.  Hall  had  already  set  aside  money  toward 
building  this  hospital  in  the  city  which  he  was  the  first  to 
open  to  Christian  work.  Might  it  not  be  the  most  fitting 
tribute  that  could  be  paid ‘to  his  memory  if  his  plan  be 
yet  carried  out.?  Nothiflg  of  the  kind  would  "better 
please  him  than  such  a building  for  Pyong  Yang,  whose 
people  he  loved,  and  for  whose  higliest  Interest  he 
labored  and  died.  '' 

Let  the  children  help — Dr.  Hall  wrote,  you  remem- 
ber, how'  in  the  first  place  the  ' fund  for  buying  the 
property  in  Pyong  Yang  was  started  by  thrfee  little*  chil- 
dren of  the  missionaries.  “ It  was  only  one  dollar  and 
sixty  cents  and  the  pfayersof  God’s  little  ones,”  but  it 
soon  grew  to  over  ^1,500.  Perhaps  Korea  may  become 
a Christian  nation  in  the  lifetime  of  the  children  who 
read  this,  and  if  they“have  helped  to  make  Ker  so  how 
happy  they  will  feel ! Phillips  Brooks  once  w'rote,  If 
I can  only  place  one  little  brick  in  the  pavement  of  the 
Lord’s  pathway,  I will  place  it  there,  that  coming  gen- 
erations may  w’alk  thereon  to  the  heavenly  city.” 

Rosetta  S.  Halt. 


Liberty,  N.  Y. 


409 


The  Roentgen  Rays  have  been  turned  to  the  benefit 
of  religion  and  philanthropy.  Dr.  F.  E.  Caldwell,  of 
Brooklyn,  gave  an  exhibition  of  them  a few  days  ago 
for  the  benefit  of  the  fund  for  the  erection  of  the  mis- 
sionary hospital  at  Pyong  Yang,  Korea.  The  work  there 
commenced  by  the  late  Dr.  W.  J.  Hall  is  being  carried 
on  by  Dr.  Follwell,  who  finds  his  dispensary  so  crowded 
that  a hospital  is  urgently  needed.  It  is  proposed  to 
make  the  hospital  a memorial  to  Dr.  Hall,  who  gave  lus 
life  to  his  service  in  Korea. — Christian  Herald. 

Memorial  to  Dr.  W.  J.  Hall. 

Dr.  W.  J.  Hall  was  the  pioneer  medical  missionary 
to  Pyong  Yang,  the  ancient  capital  of  Korea.  In  The 
'Korean  Repository  for  May  Rev.  H.  G.  Appenzeller  thus 
writes  of  him:  “ From  the  time  of  his  appointment  to 
this  northern  city,  in  1892,  until  his  early  and^lamented 
death  in  November,  1894,  Dr.  Hall  devoted  his  time 
and  energies  to  the  furtherance  of  the  work  intrusted  to 
him.  For  it  he  thought,  planned,  labored.  To  it  he 
contributed  liberally  himself,  and  at  the  same  time  pre- 
sented the  claims  of  Pyong  Yang  to  his  friends  in  Korea 
and  the  home  land  as  well.  The  response  was  prompt, 
and  money  began  to  come  in.  The  ‘ Pyong  Yang  Fund,’ 
as  he  called  it,  grew,  and  he  was  enabled  by  it  to  pur- 
chase the  valuable  property  now  occupied  by  his  suc- 
cessor without  drawing  upon  the  regular  appropriation. 
The  utmost  care  was  exercised  in  disbursing  this  fund, 
so  that  it  was  surprising  only  to  those  not  acquainted 
with  the  details  that  about  six  hundred  and  fifty  yen 
were  on  hand  at  the  time  of  his  death.  This  amount 
was  paid  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  Mission,  and 
Mrs.  Hall  at  the  same  time  expressed  the  wish  that  this 
money  might,  if  possible,  be  used  toward  the  erection  of 
52 


410 


a hospital  to  the  memory  of  her  husband.  The  Annual 
Meeting  heartily  approved  of  the  object,  and  promptly 
set  aside  the  fund  toward  this  purpose. 

‘‘  Douglas  Folhvell,  M.D.,  is  the  successor  of  Dr.  Hall, 
and  to  him  is  committed  the  pleasant,  and  we  may  say 
sacred,  work  of  erecting  this  memorial.  It  was  our 
privilege  to  visit  Pyong  Yang,  and  with  Dr.  Folhvell,  on 
May  6,  to  begin  this  building  by  giving  out  the  contract 
for  the  erection  of  a dispensary  to  a Korean  carpenter, 
who  agreed  to  finish  it  in  five  months. 

“ This  dispensary  is  located  inside  of  and  adjoining 
the  west  gate,  on  high  ground,  and  but  seven  minutes’ 
walk  from  the  commercial  center  of  the  city,  which  in 
Pyong  Yang,  as  in  Soul,  is  marked  by  the  big  bell.  This 
building  will  be  40x16  feet  and  in  Korean  style,  con- 
taining a waiting  room,  clinic,  drug  room,  and  the, doc- 
tor’s office.” 

Dr.  Folhvell,  in  writing  of  this  dispensary  building 
recently  to  Mrs.  Hall,  stated  that  it  was  going  to  cost 
seven  hundred  yen  exclusive  of  doors,  windows,  paper- 
ing, or  painting,  and  that  there  would  be  a deficit 
of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  yen,  and  that  he  felt 
sure  that  different  friends  of  Dr.  Hall  would  gladly 
make  good  this  deficit — that  he  himself  and  other  friends 
in  Korea  \vould  help. 

Mrs.  Hall  has  since  forwarded  to  Dr.  Folhvell,  as  a 
“special  gift,”  through  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Mis- 
sion, fifty  dollars  gold  (about  one  hundred  yen)  to  help 
finish  this  dispensary  ; and  she  hopes  in  the  near  future 
to  raise  one  thousand  dollars  to  build  suitable  operating 
room  and  medical  and  surgical  wards,  so  as  to  make 
the  memorial  a well-equipped  general  hospital,  such  as 
Dr.  Hall  himself  had  planned  to  build. 

Mrs.  Hall  feels  that  the  true  monument  is  not  a cold. 


41 


expensive  shaft  of  marble  or  granite,  but  the  foundation 
of  some  work  for  the  uplifting  of  the  race  or  the  ameli- 
oration of  suffering.  Such  a monument  is  alive,  warm, 
and  ever  reproductive. — World-  Wide  Missions^  Septem- 
ber, 1896. 

Those  desiring  to  add  to  this  Memorial  Fund  may 
do  so  by  sending  to  Mrs.  Hall  herself,  or  to  Dr.  F.  D. 
Follwell,  Pyong  Yang,  Korea;  or  to  Dr.  W.  T.  Smith, 
150  Fifth  Avenue,  Missionary  Secretary  for  Korea.  All 
such  gifts  will  be  gratefully  acknowledged. 

Mrs.  Hall  has  been  reappointed  by  the  Woman’s 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  as  Medical  Missionary  to 
Korea.  She  will  shortly  sail  with  her  two  children  for 
that  field,  and  looks  forward  to  taking  up  her  work 
again  in  Pyong  Yang. 

Hall  Memorial  Hospital,  Pyong  Yang,  Korea. 

Douglas  Follwell,  M.D.,  in  charge. 

Bishop  Joyce  and  Members  of  the  Korea  Mis- 
sion ; My  medical  work  since  last  Annual  Meeting 
covers  a period  of  a little  over  four  months.  During 
six  weeks  of  this  time  I treated  only  surgical  patients 
in  a small  room  of  my  house.  Since  February  i,  1897, 
the  Hall  Memorial  Hospital  has  been  opened  to  all 
comers.  The  building,  without  any  expense  whatever 
to  the  Missionary  Society,  has  been  erected  through  the 
self-denial  of  our  late  beloved  Doctor  Hall,  his  wife, 
also  a physician,  and  their  kind  friends  in  Korea  and 
the  home  land.  We  now  have  a fine  building,  44x16  feet, 
consisting  of  four  rooms.  Our  hospital  is  situated  just 
outside  the  large  west  gate,  and  is,  in  my  opinion,  an 
ideal  spot.  It  is  on  high  ground,  and  faces  one  of  the 
prominent  streets  of  the  city.  We  are  ready  for  all  the 
work  that  comes  to  us  if  we  only  have  the  room  to  put 


412 


the  patients  and  sufficient  funds  to  buy  necessary  in- 
struments. Lliave  repeatedly  sent  patients  away  either 
because  I had  no  instruments  suitable  for  operation  or 
because  of  lack  of  ward  room.  A surgeon  cannot  work 
without  proper  instruments  any  more  than  a carpenter 
can  build  a house  without  saw,  hammer,  or  nails.  It  is 
a great  mistake  for  anyone  to  think  that  the  medical 
missionary  can  get  along  with  few  instruments,  and  poor 
ones  at  best.  We  cannot  afford  to  have  poor  results 
from  our  surgical  work,  that  gives  us  the  best  success. 
I am  hoping  that  the  coming  year  will  see  these  neces- 
sities to  the  carrying  on  of  the  medical  work  in  Pyong 
Yang  supplied.  The  results  thus  far  have  been  most 
encouraging,  and  I have  already  been  privileged  to  see 
some  ripened  grain  gathered  from  the  fields  that  are 
white  already  to  harvest.  Our  medical  and  evangelistic 
])Ossibilities  in  Pyong  Yang  are  enormous.  Mrs.  Bishop, 
the  well-known  traveler  and  writer,  says  of  this  city  and 
the  surrounding  country,  in  pleading  for  more  mission- 
aries : “ I consider  the  spiritual  condition  of  Pyong 
Yang  more  remarkable  than  in  any  other  mission  field 
I have  ever  visited.”  There  are  but  two  physicians  in 
all  northern  Korea,  Dr.  Wells,  of  the  American  Presby- 
terian Mission,  and  myself.  Patients  come  to  our  hos- 
jjital  every  day  all  the  way  from  ten  to  five  hundred  li. 
I often  ask  a patient  why  he  came  to  see  the  foreign 
doctor,  and  he  replies  that  he  met  a friend  who  was 
cured  or  relieved  of  some  disease,  and  so  he  thought  he 
would  come  and  see  what  could  be  done  for  him.  We 
see  many  whom  we  cannot  cure  of  their  bodily  ailments, 
but  we  do  tell  them,  often  for  the  first  time,  of  One 
who  can  cleanse  from  all  sin  and  give  pardon,  peace,  and 
purity  through  Jesus’s  blood.  No  patient  comes  to  our 
hospital  for  treatment  but  goes  away  with  some  Gospel 


413 


message.  Everyone  knows  who  we  are,  what  we  are  in 
Pyong  Yang  for,  and  that  our  Saviour  is  Jesus  Christ 
the  Lord.  My  helper  Yi  is  a splendid  man,  and  has 
great  tact  in  dealing  with  men  and  women.  A patient 
comes  for  treatment,  and  while  I am  dressing  the  wound 
or  preparing  the  medicine,  often  occupying  several 
minutes,  my  helper  makes  his  introduction  in  very 
polite  terms,  and  then  tells  the  patient  he  is  a “ Jesus 
man,”  followed  by  the  question,  “ Are  you  ? ” Thus  the 
way  is  opened  for  telling  him  or  her  of  Jesus,  and  the 
advantage  is  taken  at  every  opportunity.  Many  become 
interested  and  come  to  our  church  through  hearing  for 
the  first  time  of  Jesus  in  the  hospital. 

There  came  a poor  woman  one  day  to  the  dispensary 
suffering  from  cancer  of  the  breast.  She  was  in  great 
pain,  and  begged  me  to  please  make  her  well  and  take 
away  her  pain.  The  odor  was  such  that  I could  hardly 
stay  in  the  room,  but  in  a few  minutes  this  was  all  re- 
moved by  washing  the  wound  with  bichloride  of  mercury 
solution.  I told  the  poor  soul  I could  not  heal  her  and 
that  an  operation  was  too  late,  but  I would  try  to  make 
her  pain  less  and  herself  more  comfortable.  One  after- 
noon she  began  to  cry  as  if  her  heart  would  break,  all 
the  while  beseeching  me  to  please  give  her  life. 
Then  my  helper  Yi  told  her  of  One  who  could  give  her 
peace  and  joy  in  her  heart  and  take  her  to  heaven.  He 
told  this  poor  woman  that  only  Jesus  could  help  her, 
and  with  the  tears  rolling  down  her  cheeks  she  listened 
to  every  word  spoken.  The  day  she  returned  home  I 
gave  her  Matthew’s  gospel,  telling  her  to  read  it,  and 
my  Christian  helper  again  told  her  of  Jesus,  and  the 
tears  flowed  as  she  asked  if  He  would  help  her.  It  was 
a scene  I shall  never  forget,  and  my  own  eyes  were 
not  dry.  The  seed  was  sown  in  her  heart,  but  I have 


414 


not  heard  of  the  poor  woman  since  and  cannot  tell 
what  the  result  will  be  until  we  shall  all  appear  before 
the  Judge  of  all  the  earth.  But  I am  glad  that  this  poor 
sin-sick,  body-sick  soul  could  come  to  a Christian  hospi- 
tal, where  she  could  at  least  obtain  some  help  from  her 
disease  and  without  price,  for  she  was  so  destitute,  and 
where  she  heard  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  of  a Sa- 
viour who  can  heal  all  her  diseases.  We  have  many 
cases  that  we  cannot  cure,  but  we  can  help  them,  per- 
haps, to  die  more  easily  and  make  their  last  moments 
more  comfortable. 

The  dispensary  gives  mighty  indirect  results.  It  is 
in  the  hospital  that  we  obtain  the  best  direct  results. 
Let  me  give  you  one  or  two  instances  : 

One  afternoon  a man  came  to  the  hospital  from  a 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  li  (forty  miles). 
He  was  too  weak  to  walk,  and  could  only  breathe  with 
great  difficulty.  I saw  at  once  this  patient  was  a very 
sick  man  and  needed  immediate  relief.  He  told  me  he 
had  spent  twenty  yen  for  sorceresses  to  heal  his  disease, 
who  said  his  trouble  had  come  because  his  father  and 
mother  were  buried  in  poor  ground,  and  not  until  the 
remains  were  removed  to  a better  location  would  the 
disease  get  well.  (I  should  say  the  man  was  suftering 
with  empyema.)  He  did  as  the  sorceresses  had  told  him 
and  spent  a large  sum  of  money,  but  alas  I the  disease 
grew  worse  instead  of  better.  At  last,  after  all  his  re- 
sources were  exhausted,  some  friend  told  him  if  he  came 
to  Pyong  Yang  the  foreign  doctor,  perhaps,  might 
heal  him.  A day  or  two  after  this  patient  came  into  the 
hospital  I aspirated  and  removed  fifty-five  ounces  of 
bloody  fluid.  Relief  from  the  severe  pain  and  distressed 
breathing  followed  this  operation,  though  he  was  still 
very  weak,  but  with  good  nourishment  and  careful 


4^5 


nursing  he  gained  strength  daily.  A few  days  before  he 
left  for  home  he  told  us  he  had  such  joy  in  his  heart 
because  he  could  eat  and  sleep  well  now  and  had  no 
pain,  and  that  he  entered  the  hospital  thinking  he 
was  going  to  die,  but  instead  of  that  he  came  to  life 
again.  During  this  patient’s  stay  he  received  Christian 
instruction  every  day.  Two  Sundays  before  he  left  for 
home  he  came  forward  in  church  when  the  invitation 
was  given  to  those  who  wanted  to  become  Christians, 
and  made  public  confession  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 
This  meant  much  to  a Korean.  It  meant  that  his  devil 
and  ancestral  worship,  his  old  customs  and  supersti- 
tions, his  gambling,  drinking,  and  immorality  were  all 
to  be  put  away,  and  that  henceforth  he  would  worship 
only  the  true  God.  This  patient  said  there  must  be 
something  in  our  religion  which  was  not  in  any  other  to 
make  a man  heal  his  disease  and  treat  him  kindly,  and 
when  he  returned  home  he  said  he  should  tell  everyone 
he  knew  about  Jesus,  who  had  sent  the  good  physician 
to  heal  him  of  his  disease. 

Another  case  was  that  of  a boy  with  “harelip,”  who 
came  one  hundred  and  twenty  li,  asking  to  be  cured.  I 
took  him  into  the  hospital  and  operated  with  good  re- 
sults. The  brother  of  the  patient,  who  came  to  look 
after  him,  became  most  interested  in  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel,  and  before  leaving  the  hospital  promised  to  serve 
the  only  true  God,  and  joined  our  Church  on  probation. 

One  more  case  let  me  relate.  A young  man  came 
one  afternoon  to  the  dispensary  with  consumption,  and 
asked  if  he  could  stay  in  the  hospital.  I told  him  I 
couldn’t  allow  him  to  do  that,  because  I had  not  enough 
money  for  his  support,  but  that  he  could  take  some 
medicine  which  I would  give  him  and  return  home. 
This  patient  kept  begging  me  to  please  let  him  stay. 


4i6 


and  he  would  be  no  expense  to  me.  I consented,  and 
during  his  several  weeks’ tarrying  improved  very  much, 
though  I told  him  I could  not  cure  his  disease.  Before 
he  left  for  home  he  was  rejoicing  in  Jesus  as  his  Saviour. 

A few  weeks  ago  a poor,  ignorant,  destitute  woman 
came  to  the  dispensary  suffering  from  a very  common 
trouble,  toothache.  She  was  in  great  pain,  and  in  a 
moment  or  two  the  tooth  was  extracted.  No  sooner 
was  it  out  than  she  dropped  down  on  her  knees  before 
me  and  bowed  herself  to  the  ground  over  and  over 
again  out  of  sheer  gratitude  and  thankfulness.  If  you 
could  see  the  joy  that  shines  upon  the  faces  of  the  many 
patients  whom  we  help  you  would  be  willing  to  spend 
and  be  spent  in  the  service  of  Jesus  in  Korea. 

Our  hospital  in  Pyong  Yang  has  made  it  possible  for 
Brother  Noble  and  myself  to  enter  many  homes  that 
otherwise  would  have  been  impossible.  One  evening  I 
was  called  to  see  a young  man  who  had  fallen  from  his 
pony  and  received  some  injury.  On  my  arrival  I found 
the  patient  suffering  from  severe  laceration  of  the 
knee.  A native  quack  who  had  been  called  in  the  pre- 
vious evening  said  he  could  do  nothing,  because  it  would 
cause  the  boy  so  much  pain  (I  thought  so  too),  and,  be- 
sides, some  pus  would  have  to  be  drawn,  after  which  the 
wound  would  heal.  Brother  Noble  kindly  helped  me 
by  administering  the  anaesthetic,  and  I then  sewed  up  the 
wound  with  thirteen  sutures.  When  we  had  finished 
Brother  Noble,  myself,  and  the  household  all  sat  down 
on  the  floor,  and  after  the  mother  had  thanked  us  for 
our  kindness  Brother  Noble  preached  Jesus  to  them, 
thus  following  in  the  footsteps  of  our  divine  Master 
and  obeying  his  commands  when  our  Lord  sent  His  dis- 
ciples to  heal  the  sick  and  say  unto  them,  “ The  kingdom 
of  God  is  come  nigh  unto  you.” 


417 


Every  morning,  after  breakfast,  prayers  are  held  in  the 
hospital  ward  for  the  in-patients.  This  service  is  in 
charge  of  my  Christian  helper  Yi,  and  has  been  the  re- 
sult of  much  spiritual  good. 

Every  patient  who  comes  to  the  dispensary  is  given 
some  Gospel  message  together  with  a card  upon  which 
is  written  the  name  and  address  of  the  hospital,  and 
John  iii,  i6,  and  is  also  used  as  a guide  to  the  physician 
to  know  what  treatment  is  being  given  daily. 

Does  medical  missionary  work  pay  in  Pyong  Yang.^ 
No  ; not  in  dollars  and  cents.  This  does  not  count 
where  the  destiny  of  immortal  souls  is  concerned.  Come 
to  the  Hall  Memorial  Hospital  with  me  some  afternoon, 
and  you  will  not  doubt  that  medical  work  among  the 
suffering  and  helpless  does  pay.  It  is  philanthropic,  it 
is  humane,  it  follows  in  the  steps  of  the  Great  Physician 
when  He  was  here  on  earth.  When  every  sick  one  is 
told  of  Him  who  saves  from  sin,  and  who  can  turn 
them  fromThe  darkness  of  superstition  and  doubt  to 
the  glorious  liberty  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  then 
medical  missionary  work  pays  a thousandfold. 


STATISTICS. 

October  i to  November  14,  1896,  Surgical 317 

Medical 55 

February  i to  April  27,  1897,  Surgical i,334 

Medical 1,01 1 


Number  of  cases  treated 2,717 

Number  of  new  cases  only 1,129 

Average  attendance  at  hospital 32 

Largest  attendance 84 

Receipts,  $37.17,  United  States  currency. 

Respectfully  submitted. 


Douglas  Fo'llwell,  M.D. 

May  5,  1897. 

53 


4I8 


A Story  for  Children. 

Written  by  Dr,  Hall,  but  not  before  Fully  Published. 

There*are  thousands  of  children  who  love  to  read, 
and  I desire  to  write  this  story  especially  for  them. 

Last  fall,  after  traveling  nearly  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles  on  foot  and  on  top  of  boxes  loaded  on  a pony’s 
back,  I came  to  Pyong  Yang  and  stopped  in  a little 
room  eight  feet  square.  Here  I saw  the  many  patients 
that  came  to  me  day  after  day  to  be  cured  of  their  dis- 
eases, here  I ate  my  rice,  and,  tired  after  the  day’s  toil, 
spread  my  blanket  on  the  mud  and  stone  floor,  and 
when  the  vermin  were  not  too  numerous  I slept. 

Many  weary  nights  I have  been  kept  awake  in  the 
filthy  inns,  and  I have  prayed  that  God  would  give  us 
the  needed  building  to  carry  on  our  work  for  Him. 

One  day  I was  called  to  see  a little  boy  whose  life 
was  gradually  ebbing  away.  He  was  the  son  of  one  of  the 
governor’s  assistants.  God  blessed  the  medicine,  and 
the  little  boy  speedily  recovered.  The  gratitude  of  the 
parents  knew  no  bounds.  They  sent  me  presents,  and 
invited  me  to  their  comfortable  home.  They  moved 
out  of  the  best  room  they  had  in  the  house  and  gave  it 
to  me.  The  father  said,  “You  have  saved  the  life  of 
our  boy;  use  anything  we  have  just  the  same  as  if  it 
were  your  own.’’  What  a contrast  to  the  filthy  inn  ! 
Later,  when  I told  him  I wished  we  had  such  a place 
for  our  work,  he  offered  to  sell  it  to  me.  It  was  nicely 
situated,  and  I did  so  desire  it  that  we  might  do  better 
work  for  Jesus ! 

After  I came  back  to  Soul  at  our  next  children’s 
meeting  I told  the  whole  story,  and  how,  though  we 
had  not  a single  cent  toward  getting  a building,  yet  this 
was  God’s  work,  and  the  silver  and  the  gold  were  His, 
and  He  would  give  us  just  what  was  needed  if  we  asked 


419 


Him.  The  children  became  much  interested,  and  they 
said,  “ Well,  Dr.  Hall,  we  will  ask  God  to  give  you  a 
house.”  I shall  never  forget  those  prayers;  they  went 
straight  to  the  throne  of  God,  and  soon  the  answer  came, 
and  these  little  children  helped  to  bring  it. 

Shortly  after  the  meeting  was  dismissed  Bertie 
Ohlinger  came  running  to  me  with  a bright  silver  dollar 
and  said,  “ Dr.  Hall,  here  is  a dollar  to  help  buy  a house 
in  Pyong  Yang;  I wish  1 could  give  more,  but  it  is  all 
I have.”  At  Christmas  time  he  had  been  presented  with 
two  dollars.  With  one  he  had  bought  a present  for  his 
mother,  the  other  he  now  gave  to  God.  Next  came 
Willa,  his  sister,  a dear  little  girl  of  nine  years,  with  ten 
cents  that  she  had  earned  herself  picking  moths  from 
the  fruit  trees.  Following  her  came  Augusta  Scranton 
with  fifty  cents,  saying,  “I  was  saving  it  to  help  buy  a 
piano,  but  I would  rather  help  with  God’s  work.”  Dear, 
precious  children  ! they  had  given  their  hearts  to  Jesus, 
and  now  they  had  brought  Him  their  all. 

It  was  only  one  dollar  and  sixty  cents  and  the  prayers 
of  God’s  little  ones  ; but  He  who  fed  the ‘five  thousand 
with  five  loaves  of  bread  and  two  fishes  multiplied  the* 
children’s  gift  until  in  six  months  the  one  dollar  and  sixty 
cents  increased  to  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  dollars  and  eighteen  cents,  and  to-day  we  have  a 
good  property  well  situated  for  work  in  Pyong  Yang. 

A few  weeks  ago  Jesus  took  Bertie  and  Willa  home 
to  Himself,  where  they  will  be  happy  for  evermore. 
Bertie  was  twelve  years  old,  and  had  early  learned  to 
love  Jesus.  One  night  before  he  died  he  told  me  that 
Jesus  made  him  very  happy.  The  morning  before  Willa 
went  home  she  called  all  the  family  to  her  bedside  and 
asked  her  papa  and  mamma  to  pray,  and  then  prayed 
herself.  She  said,  “ I would  so  'like  to  go  and  be  with 


420 


Jesus  ! but  I think  Jesus  is  not  quite  ready  for  me  yet.” 
But,  that  evening  Jesus  was  ready,  and  came  for  His 
precious  little  lamb.  Though  Bertie  and  Willa  have  left 
us  their  work  is  going  on. 

Dear  children,  how  much  you  can  all  do  for  Jesus, 
first  by  giving  Him  your  hearts,  and  then  by  living  and 
working  for  Him  ! W.  J.  Hall. 

Soul,  Korea,  August  lo,  1893.  ’ 

WHO  WILL  GO  ? 

HYMN  WRITTEN  BY  FANNY  CROSBY  ON  THE  DEPARTURE  OF  DR. 

HALL  FOR  THE  MISSION  FIELD. 

O’er  the  ruthless  rolling  ocean, 

Where  the  prince  of  darkness  reigns. 

Holding  fast  his  countless  victims. 

Crushed  beneath  his  cruel  chains  ; 

O,  the  wail  of  bitter  anguish, 

O,  the  deep  despairing  cry. 

Send  us  light  or  we  must  perish. 

Send  it  quickly  or  we  die. 

To  these  wretched,  starving  millions, 

Who  the  bread  of  life  will  bear  ? 

At  a throne  of  grace  and  mercy. 

Who  will  plead  with  them  in  prayer  ? 

Who  wili,undertake  the  journey 
O’er  the  stormy  billow’s  foam. 

Leaving  all  without  a murmur. 

Parents,  friends,  a native  home  ? 

Firmly,  bravely  comes  the  answer. 

From  a loyal  mission  band. 

That  our  blessed  Lord  is  keeping. 

In  the  hollow  of  His  hand  ; 

Firmly,  bravely  comes  the  answer 
Even  now  I hear  him  say, 

“ Gracious^Master,  Thou  hast  called  me, 

And  Thy  message  I obey.” 


421 


Dearest  brother,  you  are  going, 
Where  you  oft  may  sow  in  tears, 
And  the  fruit  of  earnest  labor. 

Be  withheld  perhaps  for  years, 
Though  you  toil  amid  their  changes. 
Burning  sun  and  chilling  frost, 
Not  a seed  will  be  forgotten, 

Not  a single  blade  be  lost. 

God  be  with  you  on  the  billows, 
God  protect  you  o’er  the  main. 

In  his  tender,  loving  kindness. 

Bring  you  back  to  us  again  ; 

But  if  otherwise  determined, 

And  on  earth  we  meet  no  more. 
May  we  all  sing  hallelujah. 

On  the  bright  eternal  shore, 


?■ 


ry- 


I ■ 


i'P- 


.S' 


’'  • 'VV^- 


r- 


' '<  '!i, 


J 


. .'liX  V “ ‘ 

'■.  .'■2'  V 


• y. 


dcjv^-^  ^ '^^Vj<ic  1 2. 7 
JvA  |1^0 

'’^CW4V''^W  /7i-i/ 

Jfc  -«3^  ,8^ 

,Q3 

'iw.c-iit,^  -Tvit.-Uit  /j;  /,^,.,J_  ;J_^/l^-2- 

'^f*--i^'-  2 U^.  ^■hiAj  iji? 

^s ' 


' y ' ' •«-  ► 7 > 

^'^^<^t.jiit^’^.\e.'  JXnA^ 


'**UAaie7<a.^  (^Hftfiin^^  SUfxJi^  tuo^  U^liCKujb 

'Mr  Qlvu'^ . 5C^^  u»  Ocfe^  i a.7i 

Rju^<t^-^  ^^arULa^  a.7Z 


Ot^OLA^JUu  x7X 

/'vA^  vic^tJl  ‘V^^,.^'’  CyJU>^  ^ ‘ifjS 
7l<: . :>  JLhj(.f^  <.vi  (Z^vkMyc ' j^^»>  /V^.-'^v.Caxi  /O 


Jf-T 


A.  ^ f?S’ 4^.rfi.v' 

Vt>  ^ Spl-^l-  COo^uji^,  ?>0  7 


'ff^l 
' / 


■^naZu\ju  ^ 39  / 


Pv\M<'  X '--vt.^ 

^ *^'' ) uy  0 ' r 

^k^:iX\cl-  39«^  ^7 

%jyj^  -jo  o^iit-^  ■iajt>-\M.  ^ ^ 0% 

(ilJlili  V/C> 

44tt^  n'VjiyUi^^O'\^(^ ^/O 

/ 


jj^  - fVnf*^  , f Y- 

ji>?  - ? < , ^ 

’.  i ^ - VxM*^  ^jvww  S«  A . H • 


M < g 


\iAAjvO/ 


VT.J-V) 


